Harry Potter and the Ice Princess (Book 1)
by gadman85
Summary: Harry Potter era. Elsa's powers awaken. She learns magic, known as "The Gift", runs in her family even if not all of them awaken it. Her family members with the gift attend a school called Hogwarts. What adventures await her? What people will she meet? How connected is her family to the magic world? What's this about a stone? HP x Frozen
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Beginnings

" _It was supposed to just be a fun night with Anna… It was supposed to be our own Winter Wonderland Adventure…_ " a young princess thought as she raced with her parents to meet with the rock trolls. " _Why did it have to turn out this way… Anna…_ " She would have cried, but she was too scared of what might have happened to her beloved younger sister Anna if she didn't control herself right now.

The family finally made it to the Troll Grove after a little time and immediately the creatures rolled up to the King of Arendelle as he pleaded for their help.

"Let me see her," an elderly troll said. The King of Arendelle handed over his youngest daughter for the troll's inspection. The troll placed his rocky hand over Anna's head near the base of her hair delicately.

"Born with the powers or cursed?" the troll causally asked. Elsa tensed at his words. She hadn't really put much thought into where her powers came from really. They were just a part of her somehow.

"Born," The king replied. Elsa felt a little relieved hearing that, but only a little. It didn't matter where her powers came from, she had still hurt her sister. "And they're growing stronger," her father added.

The troll nodded and said, "You are lucky. I can save her," the elder troll said. The whole family felt relieved as he continued to speak, "The magic struck her mind. If it struck her heart, then it would be a different matter. However, the head can be… persuaded."

Elsa again felt a little scared of herself hearing his words. The elder troll continued, "I will remove all memory of magic from her head." He started waving his hand over Anna.

"You mean Anna won't remember anything?" Elsa asked in fear. Magic was part of her. Was the troll going to remove all memory of her as well? Would she never know her sister again?

Her mother gave her daughter a sad expression as she said, "It's for the best, honey." Elsa's heart sank at those words. She feared her mother was saying it was best Anna never knew her after tonight.

The troll looked to the family with critical eyes as he started working his magic. "I will leave the fun." This family looked like it was going to unfortunately be difficult for him. They were all panicking at the moment. He hoped they would listen to him and heed his words.

Images of Anna's memories formed above her head. Elsa relaxed as the memories still showed her and Anna together happy and having fun. It was just different. They were outside in the snow instead of in one of the great halls of the castle. Elsa still felt fearful of her powers never the less.

Once the magic was complete, the troll spoke to her directly. "Elsa. Your powers will grow strong. There is beauty in them."

Elsa relaxed as she watched the display he gave her. She watched as a figure made snow while other figures danced in happiness.

"But there is also great danger!" The display turned dark as the show exploded and she heard a scream of terror. Elsa clenched her hand placed on her heart.

"You must learn to control them. Fear will be your enemy," the troll finished as he looked Elsa right in the eyes. Elsa felt a little uneasy under his gaze not sure what to make of his warning.

"We'll protect her. She can learn to control it. I'm sure. Until then we will close the gates. Cut the staff. Limit her contact with people. Keep her powers hidden… even from Anna," the King said as they made ready to leave.

Elsa didn't like this one bit at all. She knew she deserved to be punished for what she did to Anna, but she feared this punishment would really hurt her sister along with herself. " _I'm just a child… I don't really know better…_ " she thought darkly as she was ready to resign to what her father said.

The troll gave a frown. He didn't like where this was going. Maybe he was too extreme in his warning. "Those are decent precautions…" he started as the Royal family stopped mid step and looked to him.

He spoke again, "However… I think you may have misunderstood my warning. Complete Isolation is not the answer. Keeping these two sisters, with such a strong bond already, completely separate will only make things worse."

The royal family walked back over to him eager to listen. "When I said fear would be her enemy. I meant fear of herself and her powers and letting that fear control her. I guess I should have better explained my warning. It is her own fear that will be a great danger."

The royal family looked to each other as Elsa thought maybe there would be some hope after all. The Queen next spoke, "What do you recommend, Grand Pabbie?"

Grand Pabbie, the leader of the rock trolls, scratched his chin in thought before responding. "I think you should start young Elsa's Queen training very soon." The family looked to him with frowns.

"Her situation is different from your mother's, my Queen. Her powers have already awakened." He looked to Elsa as he spoke again. "When the time comes, you will receive a letter from a famed school in the magical world. The headmaster will know your royal heritage, but not of your ice powers. Your powers should be kept secret, so others won't try to use you for their own ends."

He looked to the parents now. "Also, with those young like your daughter here their powers can sometimes overflow due to emotion. Emotions shouldn't be completely rid of, but they should be controlled. The queen training will help with this. Let her still visit with her sister, maybe they should be separated to a degree, however not completely."

"Then we will still keep the castle gates closed. Limit contact with others for now. And keep the powers a secret, but at the same time..." The King said as he looked to his oldest daughter. He gave her a small smile, "We will allow you and Anna to roam the castle and spend time with each other." The Queen and the elder troll nodded to this in agreement and the royal family left the grove.

Elsa felt relieved as they made their way back to the castle at an easier pace. Anna and she wouldn't have to stay completely away from each other. Elsa wasn't happy about having to start her Queen training early, but if the trolls said it would work she was sure it would. If it meant she would still get to be with her sister as well, then there wasn't much chance she wouldn't go through with this plan.

She still wondered though, "What did he mean about, Grandma?" Her grandmother had died before she was born. She had seen pictures and heard stories from her parents about her though. However none of those stories mentioned her grandma having powers.

"The powers you have are part of the Royal Arendelle bloodline, Elsa. However, they don't always awaken, so they are usually kept secret," her mother answered.

"Your Grandmother had ice powers as well, Elsa. Unlike you, her powers didn't awaken until much later in her life," her father added.

"Because of the powers running in the family, even if they don't always surface, Arendelle's Royal training focuses more on meditation and controlling emotions." Her mother gave a sigh, "Until tonight we didn't think it was something we really needed to practice with you yet, Elsa."

Her father gave a sigh as well, "We wanted you and Anna to have as much of a childhood as you two could before getting into it. You two are both very well behaved children, even if your sister is much more… rambunctious."

"You two have never really had any outbursts of emotions. We also didn't really know emotions could cause you to lose control of your powers. Like we said your grandmother's awakened later in her life. I am just a carrier of the powers like all females in our family. Mine haven't awakened and I doubt they will," her mother said.

The queen then gave a small smile, "I always thought the training was needlessly extra rigid, myself. After hearing Grand Pabbie's warning and his clarification, it all makes much more sense now."

The mother then ran her hand through Elsa's hair and gave her daughter a hug as she said, "I'm sorry I couldn't have been more help, dear."

Elsa gave her parents a reassuring smile as she said, "I'm just glad Anna's going to be alright and I'm not going to be completely locked away from her. Even if I have to keep these powers a secret from her, it doesn't matter so long as I have my sister in my life."

The King gave a tired smile as he said, "I get the feeling you will be one of Arendelle's greatest rulers when the time comes, Elsa. I'm even surer you'll learn to control your powers. One day in the future I'm sure you'll be able to share your powers with Anna once again."

"It just might not be until she remembers about your magic. Even if the mind can be 'persuaded', I'm not sure it can be completely rewritten with just this one spell," her mother said to her.

"I'm more curious about this school he mentioned. Do you know anything about it, Honey?" the king asked as they made their way back to the castle.

The Queen was lost in thought for a few seconds as she tried to remember details about it. "I seem to remember reading something about a Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was under the education part of the Queenly Education Annuals. When a daughter or son of Arendelle awakens their powers at a young enough age, they attend under the name of Evergreen."

"When does this happen and at what age?" the king asked his wife. Elsa was just listening to the adults talk. She found that to be a good way to learn many things. Just let the adults talk and you will hear them say all sorts of things they otherwise wouldn't.

"Around the age of eleven, I was going to tell you when Elsa was closer to that age. I didn't want you to ask too many questions about magic and such with some of our guests," the queen answered.

"Wait a minute?" Elsa finally spoke out. Her parents were a little startled by her sudden interruption. "You mean to tell me there are others with magic? And you know about them? Why do I need to hide my powers if others can use magic anyways?"

Both parents gave knowing sighs. Her father started. "Yes. There is magic in the world, but it doesn't usually work in Arendelle. Our land is rich in ancient magic. It along with its people have developed a strong resistance to it if not a full on immunity."

"Our bloodline's powers, however, are an exception along with those who awaken them. You will find yourself resistant to hostel magic. I don't know how that is the case, but if what I have read from the protected histories is at all slightly correct. This is the case with every person in our family who awakens what we call 'The Gift'," her mother picked up and continued.

The Queen took in a deep breath and let it out, "The powers that come with this awakening are not the same as what other magic users have. It is far stronger. It is much more natural in both senses. Powers such as yours would be highly sought after by those who wished to have more power their selves. They would do whatever they could to gain them and have you use them on their behalf. Be extra careful who you let know about your powers, Elsa."

Her father then started again, "You don't have to let anyone know apart from us if you wish it. The choice is ultimately yours, Elsa. We just hope you will be careful."

"Also realize that as Crown Princess and future Queen of Arendelle you have to think of not only what is best for you, but our country as well," her mother added.

"We're home now. Let's all get to bed. Anna probably won't wake up until late tomorrow thanks to Grand Pabbie's magic," the King said. Elsa gave a yawn followed by her mom. The king gave a chuckle at how similarly his wife and oldest daughter yawned. "I think we're all ready for some sleep," he concluded.

"Actually," the Queen started. "It might be best if we have Anna and Elsa use separate bedrooms from now on."

Elsa's eyes widened. "Are we not going to be able to see each other anymore?!" She asked in panic.

Her mother wrapped her oldest in a hug. "No, Elsa. Just separate bedrooms. With your powers having to be kept secret and starting your Queen training soon. It will be for the best. You can relax a little more when you are in your room alone and you will be able to study uninterrupted when you want."

Elsa frowned but nodded her head in agreement. She didn't like the idea. Her and Anna had shared a bedroom since forever, or well since Anna stopped needing a crib. She also knew her mother was right that it would be for the best, even if she wasn't happy about it.

Anna was placed in her bed for the night. Their mother watched over Anna while their dad gathered up servants to help with moving Elsa's stuff into a new room. Elsa sat on a couch and watched with tired wonderment at how quickly and quietly the servants managed to move her stuff.

The blonde princess gave yet another mighty yawn for her small size when her father returned and said the new room was ready. Elsa gave a frown to what used to be her side of the room as she sleepily followed her parents to her new one. She was glad it at least wasn't too far from the old room. She might have cried at the fact she no longer shared a room with Anna as she laid down and was tucked into her bed, but she was too exhausted emotionally and physically from the night's events.

In the morning, she would start to fear what Anna would think after everything. She would then worry, not for the last time, what would happen if her sister again found out about her magic. Would it not matter? Would her sister suddenly collapse and the magic return that almost killed her? It wouldn't be easy keeping things from Anna, but it would be necessary for them both Elsa was sure. She gave one more yawn and closed her eyes as she lay in her bed.

* * *

A/N: This is going to be a Harry Potter and Frozen cross over. I have tried to modernize Arendelle as a financial powerhouse nation and have changed some other things. It will take a little time until Harry Potter and the others come into play with the story, but they will be a big part of it. Also, this won't be a Dumbledore is secretly evil story either. I don't plan on bashing Ron either.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Anna Wakes Up

After all of the events from the night before, or maybe it was early that morning, Elsa didn't exactly have a great night's sleep because of everything. She had exhausted her small body from all of the emotions she felt and how a wonderful night ended up turning into the most traumatizing experience she had lived through to date. She really hoped nothing else in her life would even come close to it.

The young crown princess, who didn't think she deserved that title in the slightest now, slowly woke up blinking and stretching. "Ah. Good to see you are awake, young princess. I have your breakfast with me. You may eat in the breakfast hall as usual if you wish. Your mother said you might not be up to it this morning. Either way I'll tell the Queen you're awake shortly," It was Liv her personal maid who greeted her this morning as she did most mornings.

Elsa sat up, but looked down as she quietly asked, "Is Anna up yet?"

"No, she's still in bed. I suppose even she has to take a break after what happened last night. Arlene has the same instructions as I do," the maid answered.

"I'll eat breakfast here, Liv. Can you have someone tell me when Anna awakes?" Elsa asked.

"Of course, your highness," the maid smiled as she bowed and left the room.

Once the door closed, Elsa got out of bed and frowned as she noticed it was a bright and beautiful day outside today. She thought it wasn't right for the sun to be out, especially after what happened last night. She looked over to the table in her room and saw it was her favorite cereal and some fruit set out for her breakfast along with some biscuits and a glass of juice.

The staff were well aware of the Royal family's usual preference for a rather simple breakfast. The same head chef and most of the cooking staff had been around a long time. Her father would joke about how you could always tell if the kitchen staff were new because they always tried to impress the family by making an amazing and wonderful feast for all meals.

As far as Elsa was concerned, even if she had such a feast prepared for her it wouldn't taste much better than cardboard today. She felt she didn't deserve even the food in front of her. She didn't deserve to be a princess. She wasn't worthy of such a title and honor.

She should have been faster and better with her powers. She should have been able to make sure nothing happened to Anna last night. The two of them should be having their morning meal together in the Breakfast Hall as they laughed and giggled about the fun they had last night and the fast one they pulled on their parents. After that, they should start planning their daily Elsanna Exploration Society expedition into another part of the castle while the attendants smiled happily and chatted a little while waiting to serve them or clear off the table. The sisters were always free to discuss such things without the King and Queen overhearing them in the mornings and possibly grounding them. Their parents never really did ground the two young princesses though.

This morning however none of that would happen. This morning Elsa wished she was grounded. She supposed it was true that sometimes a grounding isn't needed because a harsher punishment was already given by life. This was the case today, but still Elsa wished last night didn't go the way it went and instead one of her parents learned what they did and grounded them. She would much rather be forbidden from eating chocolate for three weeks while sulking with Anna over such a supposed injustice.

"I'll just have to ground myself… I can't leave my room today," she said to herself. "And… no chocolate ever again. Ever! I don't deserve it," she finished. It was a very harsh punishment, but one she deserved. She might change her mind in a few years once she mastered her powers and was sure she could never hurt Anna with them again, but not a day before that.

The young girl gave a nod to herself. She waited a few minutes and started to wonder what she could do in her room. A few minutes more and she was starting to think that maybe just the chocolate grounding was enough. She then shook her head in disgust at herself. She was grounded. It wasn't supposed to be easy. She would just have to live with staying in her room and not doing anything for the day. She ignored the fact she did have plenty she could do in the meantime. Those things were off limits because she was grounded.

{-} {-} {-}

Anna gave a groan as she woke up. She felt a little bruised here and there and her head hurt a little. "Ugh… That tumble was worse than I thought…" Last night she remembered the sky was awake and her and Elsa snuck out of the castle to play under the stars. The sky was very pretty last night and awake. While they were playing, she tripped and fell. She landed badly and hit her head on the ground. Luckily it wasn't too hard she guessed. The last thing she remembered was Elsa's scared and worried look.

The red head girl bolted up right in her bed and was about to move when the door opened and Arlene, her personal maid, walked into the room. "Good to see you're up, Princess Anna. I have your breakfast."

"Where's Elsa?" Anna asked quickly. Breakfast didn't matter.

"She's already up and had breakfast in her new room. She was exhausted after last night. Luckily it seems you only need rest for a day or two before you're back to 100%. I do hope you two will be more careful in the future," the maid said as she set up breakfast on the table in Anna's room.

"Yes, ma'am," Anna said with a frown as she looked away. She still wanted to have lots of fun with her sister, but maybe being a little tiny bit more careful would be for the best. She really didn't want to see her sister looking that worried again if she could help it. Still, the castle needed to be explored and much more. The Elsanna Exploration Society or EES for short would just have to take a little break. Anna was still proud of herself for coming up with that name.

Her eyes then widened as what she was told fully sunk in. "Why did Elsa move to a new room?! Is it because of last night? I'm sorry if it is!" Anna said as tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

The maid gave a sigh and shook her head. "It isn't anything like that, Anna. Elsa's going to start her Queen lessons soon and your parents thought it would be best if the two of you had your own rooms."

"Ohh…" Anna said feeling a little upset. She was glad it wasn't because of last night. Though, the new setup wouldn't be easy. She was used to sharing a room with Elsa. She loved it. It kind of made sense though and if her parents said it was for the best then it was probably for the best.

"I'll go and tell your parents and sister you're awake. Do you need anything else?" The maid asked. When she got a 'no' in reply, the maid left and closed the door.

Anna would have rather had breakfast with Elsa, but if she had to rest to get better she would. She just hoped it wouldn't be more than a day. Things were just more boring on her own, especially since Elsa moved out of the room. Anna hoped Elsa wasn't too angry with her or anything like that. She still felt like it was a little her fault they had to have separate rooms.

{-} {-} {-}

Queen Iduna and King Agnarr were relieved that they didn't have much to do royal duties wise that day. They were both concerned about their daughters. They had quickly finished taking care of everything for the day. The rulers knew things would be difficult in the years to come with Elsa and Anna, but were thankful that they didn't need to actually cut the staff. They would keep an eye on the staff and if needed deal with them in whatever way needed. The two Royals trusted it wouldn't come to that though. They would simply be less lenient regarding following rules and such. They already told the staff about this and it was fairly well received.

They knew Elsa was already awake and staying in her room for the time being. This made sense to them and they decided if it got too bad they would talk to her. Though, they had a feeling it wouldn't matter what they said until after Anna was awake.

They were also very concerned for their youngest. They knew the trolls had done everything they could and the King and Queen also trusted Grand Pabbie, but they wouldn't feel any relief until after they saw Anna awake with their own eyes. They were about to go and check up on their youngest regardless if she was up or not. Fortunately for them, they didn't have to worry about this as Arlene approached them. "Anna's up and having her breakfast now. She's not too happy about needing rest or the separate bedrooms, but she seems to understand."

Queen Iduna gave the maid a smile and said, "Thanks for coming to tell us right away." The two then made for Anna's room together rather quickly as the maid went to tell Anna's and Elsa's head butler, Adalrbert, that Anna was awake.

{-} {-} {-}

Anna was just about to help herself to a biscuit when the door to her room opened and her parents walked inside. She looked up and before she could respond both parents gave her a tight hug. She was surprised and felt a little guilty that she seemed to have worried her mom and dad as much or more than she had Elsa.

"Morning Mom and Dad. I-I'm sorry about last night. I didn't mean for that to happen and I will be more careful I promise," she said.

Her parents gave relieved sighs and broke the hug. "We were really worried about you Anna," her dad said.

"How are you feeling, Honey?" her mom asked.

"I'm feeling okay. A little sore and my head hurts a little like a bad headache. I didn't think I was hurt that bad…" Anna answered.

"Well you were playing on a big hill. When you fell, you rolled a good bit. Elsa was really worried and crying for us. She wasn't close enough to keep you from falling," the King answered. He wasn't happy that he had to lie about this, but it would be for the best. He and his lovely wife were worried what might happen if Anna learned the truth. They would hate for it to hurt their daughters' relationship with each other.

"We're just really glad you're alright, Anna. Please be more careful from now on, dear," the Queen said.

"Is Elsa okay? I heard she was really worried about me… She isn't mad at me for what happened is she? I heard she had breakfast in her room," Anna asked in concern.

"We'll be going to check up on her next. I'm sure she will be fine. I'm also sure being mad at you is the last thing she is thinking about," her father answered.

"Did Elsa really have to move into a different room?" Anna asked as she frowned at the biscuit in her hands.

"We felt with her Queen lessons starting soon it would be for the best. She will need to concentrate on her studies. It would be harder if you two were still in the same room. It has nothing to do with last night," her mother answered with an apologetic smile.

"Ohh…" Anna said as she frowned deeper.

"Look at it this way. If she can concentrate better on her own, then that means she won't have to study as long as she would otherwise. You two will still be able to have plenty of time together. It just won't be as much as it used to be is all," her father added hoping to cheer Anna up a little bit.

Anna was only partly satisfied with that answer, but she was also hungry and had to stay in her bedroom for a while to recover. She had already decided it would only be today and maybe not even the whole day, if she had anything to say about it. She then continued to eat her breakfast as her parents sat with her.

{-} {-} {-}

Elsa was thinking maybe she should be grounded for two days instead of just one when she heard a knock on the door and it opened. It was Adalbert, her and Anna's main butler, who walked into the room. "Princess Anna is awake and eating her breakfast in her room. She has to rest for a day or two, but you may visit her whenever you wish," he said to her.

"Thanks, but I can't," Elsa replied. She had decided how long she should stay in her room by this point.

"May I ask why?"

"Because I'm grounded," she replied.

"I was told no such thing by the King and Queen," the butler replied.

"I grounded myself…" Elsa said as she looked away.

"And what is your punishment?" he asked.

"I can't leave my room or do anything fun until Anna is better. Also I'm not allowed to have chocolate anymore," she said with all the determination her small body could muster.

"I see… I am not an expert on the matter, but that seems a bit… excessive to me," Adalbert said.

"It isn't. I'm getting off easy," Elsa replied with a sniff.

"I'll inform the King and Queen then…." the butler said. He was close to both of the girls and they saw him as family, but when one of the girls got into this kind of state only the parents could console them. He knew this from experience. If it wasn't too bad, he or their maids could talk them out of it, but this was a case where he knew the young princess would pull rank if she was pushed too much.

{-} {-} {-}

"Ahhh. There you are, your majesties," Adalbert said as he bowed.

"What is it, Adalbert?" the Queen asked.

"Princess Elsa seems to have decided she needed to be grounded for last night and won't leave her room. I could tell she isn't really in a mood to listen to me on the subject," he said with a frown to himself.

"We'll go and talk to her now. Thanks," the King said as the butler went to attend to his other duties.

The Queen sighed as they knocked and she asked, "Elsa? It's us. May we come in?"

Elsa was surprised when she heard her mom's voice at her door. "Ummm. Yes. Mom," she replied.

When they came inside the two sat down next to her and her mother spoke first, "We heard you decided to ground yourself."

Elsa flushed and looked down as her father asked, "Why did you decide that, sweetie?"

Elsa then sobbed and her tears started to flow. "I almost killed Anna… That's why… It's all my fault! I should be punished. I should never be allowed to talk to anyone again! I shouldn't be allowed to be called a princess. I hurt my sister." Her parents held her in a tight hug as she sobbed some more and let her tears fall. Some of the tears turned to tiny ice droplets which then quickly thawed out.

"I should have done something with my magic. I shouldn't have let it go for so long, but I thought I could handle it. I wasn't able—." She was stopped from going on by a finger her father placed on her lips while her mother hugged her.

"It wasn't your fault, sweetie. It wasn't anyone's fault," her father said in a calm voice.

"But what if she hates me? What if she really isn't alright like the rock trolls said she would be? What if… What if I can't control my powers and have to lock myself away from Anna and everyone else for their own safety? I shouldn't be Queen in the future ever. I shouldn't even be a princess anymore…" Elsa said quickly.

"Don't say that, Elsa. You're already a wonderful princess and you're our daughter whom we love. Anna is fine. We already talked to her today. She still loves you very much. In fact, I bet she would love it if you went and talked to her. As for your powers, we'll work on that. Remember what Grand Pabbie told us about them," her mother said.

"Not to be afraid of them and to control my fear…" Elsa answered.

"Exactly. Your Queen training will really help out with that. If you want, we can get started on it soon." Her father gave a smile to his eldest daughter hoping to cheer her up.

"Can I have the lessons start early in the mornings?" Elsa asked.

"Yes. That can be arranged. It will take a couple of days though. Can you be ready yourself by then?" her mother asked.

Elsa gave a sniff and a slow nod. "Good. It's decided. You are no longer grounded. And that's a direct order from your King," her dad responded with a nod that caused Elsa to giggle a little.

"I can live with that. So that means I don't have to be banned from chocolate for the rest of my life and I can actually do something today?" Elsa asked with a smile.

"Was that the grounding you decided on?" her mother asked. Elsa gave a nod. "That is a very severe if not barbaric punishment for all little girls, especially Arendelle princesses," her mother said in horror. Her dad nodded his head in agreement and tried not to laugh at the punishment idea. He knew how serious the girls in his life took their chocolate. Elsa then gave another little laugh and soon her parents joined her.

Iduna and Agnarr talked to their eldest a little longer before going about their day again. They now needed to work on setting up Elsa's Queen training. They hadn't done much regarding that yet because they were going to let her recover a little first, but now they had promised her to work on it.

{-} {-} {-}

Elsa actually felt really anxious as she walked to Anna's room. She was feeling a little scared again. She held a clutched fist to her chest as she took in a deep breath and let it out. " _Don't let the fear get you… Don't let it control you…_ " she thought to herself.

She took in another steadying breath and knocked. "Anna…?" she asked quietly.

"Elsa?! Come in!" Anna's cheerful voice replied. Elsa's eyes widened for a second before she entered. It didn't seem right for Anna to be so cheerful after last night. She opened the door and stepped inside to see Anna looking out her window.

"Aren't you supposed to be resting to get better?" Elsa asked.

Anna looked a little sheepish as she smiled and said, "Don't worry about it. I'm fine. Well a little sore and a bad headache…" Elsa grimaced for a second hearing that. "…But that's all. I'm sure I won't need two days of rest. I just need to take it easy today."

Anna then frowned as she looked away from her sister. "I'm sorry about last night, Elsa. I remember you looked so worried and scared as I fell down the hill. You aren't mad at me are you? I didn't mean to scare you like that."

In reply, Elsa gave Anna a tight hug as she sniffed a little and fought back a couple of tears. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to help you fast enough. It's the big sister's job to look after her little sister. I wasn't a very good big sister last night."

Anna hugged Elsa back just as tightly and sniffed as well. "You don't have to be sorry, Elsa. You're the best big sister in the whole world."

Elsa gave another sniff, but managed a smile. "Only because you're the best little sister in the world, Anna."

The two sniffed one last time together. "I think the EES is going to have to wait a few days before we go on another adventure though," Anna said as the two of them smiled and laughed in relief. The two spent more time talking and even played a board game together.

Elsa was happy, but she also felt it was a little off that this was happening. The way everything worked out felt too easy. She hated that she would have to lie to Anna about last night for the rest of her life while keeping a part of her life a secret as well. These thoughts were quickly pushed to the side though because she wasn't going to let anything get in the way of being with Anna. That alone would make everything worth it no matter how hard it was.

{-} {-} {-}

Elsa walked back to her room and gave a relieved sigh after speaking to Anna. Her beloved sister was just as cheerful as ever. She wasn't already running amuck through the castle causing the staff to sigh and smile as they shook their head watching a tutor chased the youngest princess. This was a scene that happened many times in their home. Anna was still Anna though, even after everything. She remembered last night, but remembered it as them playing a game and her slipping and hurting herself and nothing more.

Elsa was happy about this but also a bit fearful of what might happen when or if Anna ever remembered the truth of last night. Elsa's eyes widened as she felt her powers surge a little. She closed her eyes tight and willed her powers to recede. Fortunately, they did.

" _I really need to start that training as soon as possible,_ " she told herself. She looked out a nearby window after taking another calming breath. It was still a beautiful day outside. However now, Elsa actually felt the sun was out and shining in happiness because what almost happened last night didn't happen in the end. This thought brought warmth to Elsa's heart as she walked down the castle halls that would be from now on rather lonely apart from her own family and the remaining staff.

{-} {-} {-}

A few days later Elsa was finally going to start her training. Despite everything, she had to admit she was a little excited and eager. It would help her with her powers and that meant she would also be able to be around Anna when she could be. She also loved learning and these lessons would help make her worthy of being a princess again and later Queen.

She would have classes about etiquette and the usual school subjects. She would also have different language lessons and later accounting and finance. She wasn't really looking forward to accounting and finance at all, but she was told it was very important for her as the future Queen to know this stuff.

Elsa knew it would be a tough load to handle and she also knew it was much tougher than it otherwise would have been usually. She would be receiving formal magic education later in her life around the age of 11 and so she had more subjects pushed on her since she would be going to a boarding school called Hogwarts later. This was always the case for those in her family who awakened the gift early enough in their life. It was actually the closest school for such things despite being in a completely different country. The gift was rare in Arendelle so there wasn't really a reason to have a formal magic school in their country.

There were other mages from Arendelle, but they all went to other countries for schooling. Hogwarts was a choice destination because it was where the royal family went. It was also a school with a pretty good reputation and a long legacy. It was founded in the tenth century. The founders were well known during their age and they were early to decide on making a more formal education system for growing Witches and Wizards.

That was all in her distant future. Eleven seemed so far away to her. Until then, she would be busy with classes early in the mornings which would allow her to spend time with Anna in the late afternoons and evenings. Elsa was planning to insist more education on controlling her powers once she knew what the Queen lessons were like. To her, controlling her powers were just as, if not more, important as everything else. Her powers were advanced. She would need to learn how to use them properly and not endanger others.

From what she understood, the Queen training was more about dealing with magic powers in general. The young Crown Princess felt the regular Queen training might not be enough in her case. She wanted to master her powers as soon as she could. Truth be told, despite her feeling otherwise, she already had a very advanced mastery of her powers.

When she first started her Queen Training, Elsa took a while to get use to the time she had to get up in the morning. Elsa gave a yawn as she ate her breakfast. It was too early she thought. Her dad gave a chuckle as he said, "It isn't uncommon for us rulers to get up this early and sometimes earlier, Elsa." Elsa gasped at that and her mom laughed and nodded in agreement.

{-} {-} {-}

Anna thought it was kind of boring having breakfast alone like this. Elsa was already having her classes. Anna really hoped she would get used to it, or maybe apart from weekends she would just have breakfast in her room. Anna found herself very bored until it was finally later in the day and she could finally see her sister again.

"Are your classes done, Elsa?" She asked. The hope in her eyes was so bright you could probably see them glowing in complete darkness.

Elsa gave a smile. "Yes, Anna. I'm finished for the day."

Anna gave a cheer and hugged her sister as tight as she could. "I'm so happy! I was worried I would go crazy waiting for you to finish." Anna couldn't hide the tiny sniff she gave. "It isn't fair that you have to start your Queen training now…"

Elsa felt her heart break a little and hugged her sister back harder. "I know, Anna. You will have to be strong though. I will have to be strong too." She then gave a giggle and said, "It isn't easy getting up so early in the morning and then listening to a bunch of old people lecture you all day."

Anna wiped the tears threatening to spill from her eyes and laughed to that. "We'll just have to make better use of the time we do have together then!"

Elsa nodded as she looked at her sister, "That we will, Anna."

{-} {-} {-}

Controlling her powers was a little more difficult than she or her parents first thought. "They're getting even stronger! I'm scared…" Elsa said as she hugged her dad tightly.

He patted her on the back, "We can do this, Elsa." She then broke the hug and he gave her a pair of beautiful and comfortable light blue colored exquisite satin gloves. He placed them on her hands. "Think of these gloves as a sheath. Just like with a sword in the scabbard, your hands with these gloves on won't be a danger," he said with a small smile.

Elsa's eyes widened as she smiled a little. "Eventually your hands will be the sheath for your powers, Sweetie. They will only be active when you want them to be. The gloves will also help your hands when it comes to all of that writing we Queens have to do." Her mother added with a smile. She then raised her own gloved hands to show Elsa that it was true what she said at the end. Elsa felt better with the gloves on her hands. She wouldn't rely on them, but she really did like the gloves.

"Ooo! These are nice, Elsa!" Anna said as she felt the new gloves on her sister's hands. "Their color really suits you too."

"Thanks!" Elsa said with a beaming smile. "Mom and Dad gave them to me as a gift for having put up with the lessons as long as I have. They also help protect my hands a little. You don't want to know how much time I spend writing either with pen or pencil. I even had to use a ceremonial quill a time or two," Elsa said with a sigh. She was really getting into more advanced math and writing now. What she said was true. She just didn't add the part about her magic powers.

Elsa's lessons continued and Anna kept having to survive the day before she could actually have fun with her older sister. On the bright side, Elsa was making good progress with her lessons. She still would wonder what would happen if Anna learned the truth. Part of her, the rational part, told her Anna would feel bad for what happened and the two of them would have a tearful few days before going back to how they were in the past more or less. The not so nice side of Elsa envisioned Anna hating her for what happened and all of the lies she had told since then. While these thoughts did pop-up, Elsa tried her best not to dwell on them too long. She was thankful for the lessons. They provided her a distraction from such thoughts and she was learning so much. It also helped her to have better control of her emotions and as a result her powers as well. Life continued at the Arendelle Palace as it always had since the incident.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Lonely Halls and Portraits

Anna gave a sigh as she walked down the halls of the palace. She was very tempted to run down them or maybe ride a bicycle down them, but she was scolded for doing that not too long ago. She felt like it was lucky she wasn't grounded from that little transgression. Not that she didn't already feel like she was more or less grounded on a permanent basis at times.

It was so boring in the castle most of the day. Elsa was always busy with her Queen lessons until the afternoon or evening depending on the day in the week. Her older sister was even busy on Saturdays as well. Fortunately, not as much on Saturdays but Elsa was still busy those days to some extent. Her parents were also always busy to some degree every day. It wasn't easy running Arendelle after all.

Anna had even started taking lessons of her own. She found many of them really boring and was only able to take a few each day. She had really hoped that they would at least pass the time faster, but that wasn't the case. She did well in her lessons and took them to heart, don't get her wrong, but still they were boring.

Most of the day Anna's only human contact was with the servants, but they were always very busy as well. She also could have sworn there were less members of the staff than they had when she was younger. She asked her parents about this wondering if they were having economy problems or something, but her parents assured her that wasn't the case. It was just since they had severely limited visitors to the castle to mostly only for business that had to be handled in person, they hadn't a need for the large staff they once had. Also, most of the former staff moved on to other careers.

Her parents gave her the impression that it wouldn't always be this way. When she asked what they meant by that, they told her once Elsa was formerly announced as Crown Princess they would open the gates once again to the public and such. They said it wouldn't be that long away, but really Anna knew it was ages away. Elsa's introduction as Crown Princess to the world at large was going to take place after she turned 17. That was seven whole years away unless something big gave them reason to introduce her sooner.

"Well, Arthur. What do you think, buddy?" Anna asked a portrait hanging in one of the many fairly empty rooms. It was a habit she had started to indulge in every now and then. Her only company she ever really had was Elsa, but that was after all of her lessons for the day. Anna had to have someone or something to talk to before then.

Anna was deeply grateful for the time she had with her sister. She did sometimes wonder if she looked forward to that time of day a little too much. Sure, she was in a veritable heaven of socializing when her sister was around and both of them really enjoyed that time to the max. However, sometimes Elsa would be really tired by that time. When that happened, Elsa wasn't as talkative. Sometimes Anna deep down felt it wasn't fair that the tutors took up so much of the time she could have with Elsa because of those lessons.

Elsa had a lot of lessons she was taking every day and she was starting them really early in the morning. So early in the morning that the sun wasn't even up. Anna couldn't really comprehend this, but knew it was tough on Elsa starting her day that early. Anna also felt warm in her heart, because she knew Elsa was doing it so they could have as much time together during the day as possible.

The red haired princess didn't want to think what things would be like if Elsa started her lessons later in the day. She was pretty sure if that was the case she would only see Elsa for meals and that would be it. She would even bet the only meal that might count as anything would be supper too. Breakfast and Lunch would be, eat and get to classes and that would be it. She knew schools usually gave their students a lunch period or break, but those students didn't have lessons on how to be Royalty and running the country on top of everything else.

For better or worse, Elsa was Anna's strongest bond with only a few others. She was close to her parents, but that was different. She also didn't really have anyone even close to her age she got to play with or anything else. She was allowed to go outside, but she had to stay on the palace grounds.

Anna had snuck out a couple of times, but she got into serious trouble one time for doing that. She had looked around Arendelle's capital city, but she got lost and scared. The guards and police were actually called out to find her. They did find her and she was very relieved at the time. She didn't even care about getting grounded and not getting to really do anything with Elsa for a couple of weeks. What had haunted her since that day was the fit her parents were both in at the time. She had never seen them that upset.

The only thing worse than that was how hurt Elsa was by it all. Elsa had actually not talked to her for a couple days after that. Anna gave a shiver as she remembered the conversation they had after Elsa started talking to her again.

\- Flashback starts -

Anna was in tears as she knocked on the door to her sister's room once more. "Elsa… Please let me in… Please. I'm really sorry I sneaked away like that." Anna sobbed again and barely noticed as the door opened.

The red haired girl looked up into her sister's icy blue eyes. Eyes that were usually filled with happiness even if they also had an underlining sense of worry as well. Now though, they were icy cold and filled with sadness. The eyes looked so cold Anna could almost swear Elsa's tears were frozen solid.

"Elsa… I'm so sorry… I really am," Anna said through her own tears.

"Anna… You had me so worried! You had all of us so worried! Why did you go out on your own like that?" Elsa asked in a sad voice as the tears, which looked frozen earlier started to fall.

Elsa sobbed as she hugged Anna and said softly, "I thought I lost you completely. You're not only my sister, but also the best friend I have. You mean everything to me, Anna. Something could have happened to you out there and we might have never seen you again."

Anna felt even worse than she was before hearing Elsa's words. She hadn't really thought about it that way. She thought she was the only one feeling the loneliness of the halls, even if she loved them and her home. She also hadn't thought about how she was pretty much her sister's only friend as well. Now that the two of them were on speaking terms again, the rest of her grounded period didn't feel anywhere near as bad as it did before.

\- Flashback ends -

Anna at that time decided she would never try to sneak out into the city alone again. She smiled as the memory ran its course. She laughed at the part where she was in the room talking to Elsa and mentioned how she knew she deserved the grounding she got and decided she should get more of one.

She said she would forbid herself from ever eating chocolate again. Elsa was horrified and quickly said, "I'm going to tell you want mom told me when I thought about grounding myself from chocolate. That is a very severe, if not barbaric, punishment for all little girls, especially Arendelle princesses." The two then broke out in a fit of giggles together at that.

Anna still hadn't forgotten the hard learned lessons from that time and was sure she never would in her life. While she had grown closer to Elsa from that experience, it was still very horrible and thinking on it too much made her feel very uncomfortable for some reason.

As a way to keep herself from doing such things again, she had taken to talking to the portraits occasionally after that. It had helped and she knew it wasn't a healthy habit, but it helped her a little. She thought about resorting to pranking or something along those lines, but she realized it wasn't a good idea to interfere with the staff and their duties. She did know that some of her escapades around the castle caused them a little extra work every so often, but that didn't count.

Anna continued her walk as she looked at all of the portraits on the wall in the room. She was half tempted to have a staring contest with one of them. She never won, but it was kind of fun to see the staff's reactions to her having the contest. That trick had lost its novelty after three times though.

"I really wish it was Wednesday or Friday. Don't you, Miss milkmaid?" She asked the painting in front of her. She really liked Wednesdays and Fridays because those were the days she had her favorite lessons, dancing and music. She liked singing a lot. She also loved her dance lessons because she convinced her instructors to teach her more than just ball room dancing. Not that there was anything wrong with Ballroom dancing and it was in fact her favorite, but she liked variety and it made things less boring.

Another hobby she had taken up since the castle closure was surprisingly reading. She wasn't as into it as Elsa, but Anna had come to enjoy reading as well. She did fear that she might eventually end up reading everything in their library, but that was still far off even if she was able to read a lot during her free time.

Still, all of that didn't compare to spending time with Elsa. They would play a lot of games together. They kept up their exploration since it was super important in their minds. Anna was pretty sure she and Elsa knew more about the castle grounds than their parents. They had found several secret passageways and interesting rooms.

One thing she and Elsa both loved to do while exploring the palace was to sometimes just soak in the room together. It was odd and fascinating to do this. Many times Anna could have sworn the room was in a way speaking to them when they were still. Elsa admitted she felt the same way and that sometimes if she closed her eyes it was like the room would show her what happened in it.

"Elsa really is amazing," Anna sighed to herself with a smile. "Even with all of the lessons, she still finds plenty of time for us to have fun." She was speaking her thoughts out loud to the Milkmaid picture. For some reason, that one was her favorite. Perhaps it was because the woman in it had a friendly face, or maybe it was just by chance.

Anna lay there on the seat with just her thoughts for a while. It was almost time for her English lesson. "Anna. There you are. Time for your lesson." A young woman dressed smartly walked over to the young princess.

"I know. Where will we have it, Ms. Penny?" Anna asked.

"Follow me," Ms. Penny answered.

Anna nodded and got up to follow. Ms. Penny was usually nice, even if she could be very stern when needed. She was pretty with light brown slightly curly hair. She was originally from England and toured Arendelle once before falling in love with the country and the people. Fortunately, she managed to decide to move here right at the time the Royal family needed an English tutor for the princesses. Ms. Penny was very capable and both girls liked her. The young woman was surprised when asked to tutor the princesses and took the offer quickly. It was obvious even to Anna that Ms. Penny loved teaching so the classes weren't too bad.

As Anna took a seat behind a desk and reached for her things already set up on top, she hoped Elsa was enjoying her lessons right now. Anna got ready to focus on her lessons, even if she was eager for them to end for the day. After all, she couldn't really just end her lessons and speed up the day.

{-} {-} {-}

Elsa let out a long sigh as she finished up her accounting and finance classes. She always had the two together. They were taught by the same tutor, Mr. Sterkolv. "I hope you are concentrating, your Highness. I know this isn't the most exciting of subjects, but it is important."

"Yes, Mr. Sterkolv," Elsa replied dryly. Mr. Sterkolv was a retired Professor on the subjects from Arendelle's most prestigious Institution for learning, Torvald University. He was also many times used as a financial advisor by the Crown's Cabinet when something extremely difficult in such matters came up. He also refused to be called Professor Sterkolv since he was one no longer.

Elsa liked him because the old Professor didn't even bother to make the subject of accounting fun or exciting. He readily admitted it would be rare and possibly worrying if a young girl, no matter how bright and eager to learn she was, found the subject fun and excited. At the same time, he was very good at teaching the subjects and he considered it a great honor to tutor Elsa. He would instruct Anna later, much much later most likely, as well.

Elsa had come to see him as a bit of an old uncle. Sometimes he would share stories with her about his days as a university professor and advisor for her parents and grandparents. Elsa had to admit despite how boring the subjects were he managed to make his stories actually exciting and interesting somehow. They usually involved a lot of cunning and smart moves on his part.

In all honesty, Elsa's favorite subject was music. She loved listening to music. She loved learning the different aspects of music. She also really liked her instructor, Ms. Maren. Ms. Maren was elegant and talented. She was also beautiful. She had dark red hair, dark green eyes and a wonderful voice.

Ms. Maren also seemed to know a lot about contemporary music in addition to everything else. It was something that Elsa found interesting. Usually adults didn't really pay much attention to current trends in music, but Ms. Maren knew a good bit about it. Elsa still preferred classical and older music, but Ms. Maren also showed her the positives of contemporary music as well. The music tutor didn't really see it as something that would have as much of a lasting effect as classical music did, but she stressed it wasn't something to completely count out because of that alone.

"If that is the case, what contemporary music do you think will have the most lasting effect, Ms. Maren?" Elsa asked one day during her lessons.

Ms. Maren gave a hum in thought before answering. "It's really hard to say, Elsa. I kind think maybe rock music. It seems to have more of a lasting impression on me. Honestly, the answer will probably vary from person to person."

Another reason Elsa liked Ms. Maren so much was because she had seen the woman preform many times before in her life. Ms. Maren was often invited as part of the entertainment at several Royal functions. She had also performed in many places around the world. Both of her parents liked her and the woman had her own family now and wished to be closer to home and her family.

When Ms. Maren was asked to instruct both daughters in music, the woman was very happy and eager. When she learned both daughters were talented, she was even more excited. She was instructing Elsa in playing both the harp and flute. The flute more so than the harp, since that was the instrument Elsa preferred. She also taught Anna in the violin, which was a bit surprising given how energetic the younger princess was. Ms. Maren instructed both girls in singing as well.

Elsa's favorite subject apart from music was probably history. She loved hearing about her ancestors and her country's past. She found it very interesting to hear about it all. It also helped that Mrs. Arnlaug, the instructor, loved history and teaching it as much as both princesses loved chocolate. She knew how to make even the most boring parts of history exciting and fun.

The last of Elsa's three favorite classes was dance. She liked it to start with, but knowing how much Anna loved dancing Elsa soon found herself loving it even more. She preferred playing her flute or listening to music, but dancing was lots of fun.

Elsa stretched and waited while Mr. Sterkolv looked over her assignment. She was pretty sure she had it right, but you never really knew. The old professor nodded as he looked over the papers. He put the papers down. "Well you did do very good. There were a couple of errors. Let's go over them before calling it a day."

Elsa gave a mental whine as she went and sat down in her desk. "Let's start…" and with that Mr. Sterkolv and Elsa went over her mistakes. It ended up being more of a learning experience than the young princess wished it was. She thought she had done so much better.

{-} {-} {-}

Anna was excited today. It was Friday, finally! On top of that, Elsa had Saturday off from lessons and the two of them were going to have a sleepover. The sisters would have what they called sleepovers every so often. On these days, the two of them would find a room in the palace to camp out in for the night together. Today it was one of the sitting rooms with a TV.

They had planned it all out too. They were going to watch Ghostbusters together and then later when it was dark they were going to sneak around the palace "Ghost Hunting". It was just going to be their usual exploring except at night and they were going to be extra sneaky about it. If they happened to actually see a ghost, that would just be even more exciting, but probably a little scary as well.

To make sure the sleepover was even better, Elsa actually managed to take a nap after her classes that day. It was so she would be more than ready for their late night "Ghost Hunting". The down side to this was that most of the day was a little boring for Anna. To her surprise, she managed to even take a small nap herself.

"This is going to be such an awesome night, Elsa!" Anna said excitedly.

"I know." Elsa replied with a nod of her head and a wide grin.

"I can't wait to see what pizza the cooks make us!" Anna said almost bouncing where she was standing.

"I hope it has meatballs!" Elsa said catching Anna's excitement.

It turned out the pizza had meatballs, pepperoni, mushrooms and extra cheese. The kitchen staff at the palace could make something much more impressive, but the princesses didn't want something fancy for their sleepover as they watched a movie.

After the movie, they had a wonderfully delicious banana pudding while quoting the movie at each other. They stayed up a bit playing games with each other until it was their "Bed Time". As they were falling "asleep", the two sisters couldn't help but giggle in anticipation for their later activities.

{-} {-} {-}

"Finally!" Anna whispered/groaned to Elsa.

Elsa blinked a few times and asked, "hmmm?" She tried to hide the fact she was stretching, but not very well.

"Did you fall asleep?!" Anna accused in a whisper. There really wasn't a need for her to whisper because they were alone in the room, but the younger princess felt it added to the atmosphere.

Elsa attempted to cover a yawn as she said, "Wha-what? Of course not!"

Blue eyes met blue eyes as Anna gave a pout. "You did too! You're yawning."

Elsa turned to the side and pouted to herself as she said, "Okay… Fine I did… You were the one who decided we had to 'fall asleep'. I was saying it wouldn't matter."

"If we didn't 'fall asleep' then the ghost would have never even thought to come out. Now at least we know they will have thought to come," defended Anna.

"What if we don't find any? Then the plan of pretending to fall asleep would have been for nothing," Elsa countered.

Anna blushed a little as she said, "It doesn't matter. There's a chance now and that's all that matters."

Elsa gave a giggle as she said, "Okay. I believe you. Sorry I kind of fell asleep. Good thing I have the world's best little sister to wake me up in such cases."

Anna couldn't help but smile to those words. She wanted to say more, but now she didn't. Instead she just said, "Alright let's go then." She jumped out of her bed, well it was really a mattress with some sheets and a couple of pillows. She looked to her sister and asked, "You will at least-"

"Keep quiet? Yes, I will. I may have fallen asleep, but I'm not stupid. The ghosts, if there are any out, will hear us otherwise. There's also the guards that would end our expedition early as well," Elsa said to her sister.

Anna gave her an approving nod. Elsa was glad she had her sister's approval now. She only hoped Anna wouldn't be too tired for their hunt. " _Not that Anna gets tired when she has her mind set on being awake,_ " Elsa thought to herself with a giggle.

Unfortunately, her giggle was louder than she thought. Anna gave her a look and asked, "What?"

"Oh, me?" Elsa asked. Anna nodded. "Oh nothing. Just… excited about the Ghost hunt tonight is all." It wasn't really too far from the truth. She was excited.

Fortunately, Anna was satisfied with that answer. She gave a wide grin as she said, "I know, right?! Who knows what we will find tonight. I also want to see what the garden on the third-floor balcony is like at night."

"We're supposed to have a half moon tonight. So, it should be beautiful," Elsa said as she got out of her own bed. The two of them actually preferred half-moons. To them it meant half the moon and half the stars to gaze upon in the night sky. Full moons were too bright to see many stars. New Moons were a little too dark for their liking at times, even with all of the stars. Half-moons were perfect for them.

As they started making their way quietly through the castle that night, the sisters didn't have too much trouble navigating the halls even with the limited light. They were used to sneaking out at night together. This time they were moving through the halls slowly and they actually noticed more detail then they usually did. Most nights they sneaked out they had a destination firmly in mind, so they didn't pay attention to everything else.

Anna, who was in lead, couldn't help but gulp in nervousness. Seeing the extra details of the halls was interesting, but also a little scary. "I wonder how many ghosts we'll see. Do you think we'll meet any aunts and uncles or maybe our great great great grandparents?" Anna asked Elsa trying to play off her nervousness as anticipation.

Elsa seemed rather composed as she answered, "That's probably most likely. A few servants live in the palace, but mostly it's just the Royal family who lives in the castle including princes and princesses who were never the King or Queen. Though in the past there were a lot more visitors so it probably didn't feel lonely."

"How come we don't have more visitors in the palace? I mean it is big enough for lots of people to have extended stays here," Anna asked as she kept looking around for ghosts.

Elsa paused in her steps. " _Because I have magic powers growing and might lose control of them? Because we have to keep them secret from the rest of Arendelle and you,_ " she thought. She shook her head and gave part of the truth instead. "It's probably because of us. Dad and Mom don't want visitors trying to encourage us to marry one of their family or use us to convince Mom and Dad to go in their favor on things."

Anna paused in thought and gave a hum. "I guess that makes sense. I'd like to marry some strong and dashing prince or young lord, but not some person's half cousin three times removed or something like that. Who would you like to marry? I mean you are older and will be Queen." Anna turned around and looked Elsa in the eyes. It was like she thought this was some really important detail.

"Ummm… I'm not really sure. I've been focusing more on my studies than things like that," She answered.

"Still you have to have some idea, Elsa." Anna seemed determined to get an answer to this question.

"Well then. I guess he would have to be handsome and brave. Also, I wouldn't want him to be an idiot all of the time," Elsa answered.

"Wouldn't you want him to never be an idiot?" Anna asked with a puzzled look. She couldn't think of princes ever being idiots.

"I don't think it's possible for people to never ever be an idiot. I mean mom does sometimes mutter under her breath about dad being an idiot. If even he can be an idiot at times, then everyone is at times," Elsa answered.

"No way? Even mom? Dad's never called her an idiot," Anna said in disbelief.

"Mom has called herself an idiot or a dummy at times," Elsa answered.

"I guess you're right then," Anna replied as they continued their trek through the palace at night.

The sisters started looking carefully into different rooms around the castle. Their conversation was a lot quieter now and when they did speak, it was ghost hunt related stuff. "See anything here?" "Nooo…" "Feel anything different in here?" "Does air flow count?" that sort of stuff.

"Maybe we need to sit quietly in a hallway or something and just keep an eye out for any patrolling guards," one of them suggested.

It was a grand total of five minutes later that Anna decided just sitting and waiting wasn't going to work. Besides, it was boring ghost hunting that way.

As they continued their adventure, Elsa couldn't help but notice flows in some of the rooms as opposed to others. It was also weird because sometimes there wouldn't really be an explanation for the flows. Plus, some of the rooms had more intense flows than others. She guessed it might have something to do with her powers and the gift, but she wasn't sure yet. She really wished she had someone she could ask about things like that.

"How about we try that closed Ballroom and then check the garden?" Anna suggested with a barely hidden yawn. Elsa was actually impressed Anna had gone on this long without even having taken a nap earlier that night.

The two sisters walked into one of the more private ballrooms in the palace. They had heard theories about ghosts hanging around in places that they had strong feelings for. A private ballroom where the guests were closer to each other and closer to the royal family was probably the best bet. The larger ballroom would be too impersonal because of all the events held there over time.

"I really like this ballroom," Anna said as she ran into the middle of it and looked up at the hanging chandlers. Elsa nodded to this. Anna was in deep thought for three seconds before saying, "How about we try the waiting thing here?"

Elsa looked around. "Sounds good to me. Maybe we'll hear a ghost orchestra play or something like that." She then looked to Anna with bright eyes. "Wouldn't that be wonderful? Waiting here and hearing wonderful music before ghosts enter the room and start dancing above us?"

Anna beamed at that picture. "That would be! Oh, I hope if I ever become a ghost in the future that I get to visit a ghost ball with a handsome ghost prince and we can dance floating in the air!" Anna then started dancing a little with herself while she loudly hummed a dancing song. Elsa giggled and joined her sister in dancing while humming the same tune. The two danced in circles faster and faster until they were dizzy. They then laid on the floor and giggled together. The ceiling above them spun as they looked up. They both closed their eyes for a minute.

Elsa with her eyes closed could feel the flows in the room. She tried to concentrate on them. She could almost make out shapes of figures dancing above her. They didn't feel like ghosts, but it was still a beautiful sight in a way. She even softly hummed a tune that the flows seemed to dance to above her. When she took a break from humming, she heard Anna's rhythmic breathing from next to her and she giggled to herself. She snuggled closer to her sister. She closed her eyes as well and hummed again while watching the dance only she could see play out above them. She didn't mean it, but she did fall asleep herself as well.

Anna heard a sigh. She moaned and shifted a little. She felt something warm and comforting next to her. She snuggled in deeper with it. She heard the sigh again. She barely opened her eyes. "Why is it light in here?" she mumbled to herself.

"Because that is what happens when daylight comes," she heard an answer that she had not expected. She opened her eyes quickly to that and was looking straight into the eyes of Adalbert. "Good morning, your highness," he said with a stern smile. "Would you mind sharing why it is you ended up sleeping with princess Elsa in the middle of this ballroom?"

"Elsa…" she whispered. "Wake up!" she whispered again.

"Hmmm? What is it Anna? Is the sky awake?" Elsa asked barely above a whisper with her eyes still partially closed.

"Yes indeed. The sky is so very much awake that you are running a little late for breakfast, Princess Elsa," Adalbert said with a hidden grin.

Elsa shot up wide awake to those words. She looked around. They had both fallen asleep in the ballroom last night. Anna gave a slight shiver now that she was awake and not right by Elsa. "You are lucky you didn't manage to catch a cold sleeping on the floor, Princess Anna," Adalbert said. "I guess you will both require hot chocolate with your breakfast?" he asked with a smile.

Anna and Elsa brightened up hearing that. They quickly followed him to the Breakfast Hall. They hadn't seen any ghosts last night, but that didn't matter now. The only thing that mattered was they would be having hot chocolate with what they were sure would be a wonderful breakfast.

Anna frowned as she sipped her hot chocolate after most of her breakfast was finished. "What's wrong, Anna?" Elsa asked.

"Well we didn't go out and see the garden last night. I really wanted to do that. I'm not upset about going to that ball room instead, but we both ended up falling asleep," Anna replied.

Elsa gave a nod of understanding. She then smiled a little mischievously and conspiratorially said to Anna, "Then we'll just have to sneak out tonight and go to the third-floor balcony garden." Anna smiled to that.

The sisters were determined to spend the whole weekend together. Elsa didn't have Saturday classes so it was clearly a rare time for celebration. They played with dolls together. The two of them loved to act out play scenes together, but the would change it up for fun. One example was when it came to the Romeo and Juliet balcony scene. Romeo was an incredibly handsome stuffed dog with a 'low deep voice' courtesy of Anna. Juliet was a pink pony with a red and blue colored mane who spoke in a 'deep woman voice' courtesy of Elsa.

They also played tag throughout the palace. Fortunately, the staff were more than used to such games the girls played and so there would be a maid here and there that would twirl around the girls while still going about her cleaning duties. The butlers also had some really good balancing skills while they carried different objects through the house. Sunday night the King and Queen were hosting an important business function, so the staff were getting ready for that.

Anna later in the day even challenged Elsa to a dress up contest. Most girls would dress up in really fancy clothes when it came to such things and act like princesses. However, Elsa and Anna were princesses. This meant when they had a dress up contest it was to see who could dress the most ridiculous.

Elsa was currently looking as elegant as a girl could wearing one of her dad's old dinner jackets with a bow tie and a skirt with shoes a few sizes too big. She even managed to find a fake mustache, a monocle and a top hat somewhere. "I am the Amazing Duke of Weselton! Bow before my importance and amazingness," Elsa said with a made up silly accent. She even had an equally silly walk she used to strut around the room to Anna's giggles.

The Duke was a comedic character based off of a man in the past. There was a comedy duo the girls loved and they recently made a movie about the Duke and just how overly self-important he was. The man was short in stature with an ego the size of a mountain and very greedy. He believed that Weselton was far more important than it actually was. Most people couldn't even get the name of the place right. Everyone usually called it Weaseltown.

When it was Anna's turn, she managed to find an outfit from her mother's 'rebellious youth days' and added another of their dad's dinner jackets on top for good measure. She attempted to add makeup which ended up looking silly, but worked just fine for what she had planned. She then frolicked around and gave a really poorly done curtsy. "And I am Hansetta of the Southern Isles! The most beautiful and graceful woman in all the world."

Hansetta was a different character from the same movie as the Duke. She was a woman who thought she was the most beautiful of all. She also thought herself a fashion Icon. The truth was she looked average at best with the perfect lighting and her vain personality left much to be desired. However, she was from a wealthy family and so the Duke happily played into her delusions with overly grand expressions of admiration.

They tried a few other made up ridiculous outfits for a while. In the end, the girls ended up giggling in a pile of mismatched clothes. They laughed even more when their dad came by wondering if they'd seen a couple of his dinner jackets that had gone missing.

{-} {-} {-}

That night it was actually Elsa who woke up Anna this time. The two girls again sneaked around the palace and out on to the third-floor balcony garden. They even managed to get into the kitchens and take a couple of tea cups and a pot. It was night time, but it wasn't as late as their previous night's adventure. They weren't trying to find ghosts this time so they went out earlier.

"It's just as beautiful as I thought it would be!" Anna said as she twirled around a little after placing the tea cups she was carrying down. Elsa was humming as she made tea. It wasn't going to be as wonderful as the staff's tea, but she knew how to make it.

"I've always loved the palace gardens, especially the one with all of the statues," Elsa said once she finished pouring some tea. She then smiled as she looked over the garden, "I've never really seen one them at night before. This was a really good idea, Anna."

The garden on the third-floor balcony wasn't very big compared to the others, but it had a lot of flowers. The light from the palace windows gave it a warm glow and let them make out the colors of the different flowers. They also had a great view of the night sky and the stars from here. There were also a few fountains on this balcony that the girls really liked. Since it was spring, they even saw some glow bugs in the flowers near the fountains.

Elsa and Anna sat down at the table and enjoyed their tea while they watched the glow bugs and the night sky. They were actually both really still and quite for a while. They talked a little about different things, but mostly just enjoyed the sights of the garden at night. When the two finally went to bed that night, they were really tired and didn't even notice as they both ended up crawling into Elsa's bed together and slept.

Sunday the girls enjoyed playing together as well. They did have to be more careful and not disturb the staff. They also had to go to bed early because of the function their parents were hosting that night. When Monday came, they went back to their usual routine once again. Anna again looked at one of the paintings. It showed a bunch of people sitting in a garden. She smiled at it. "You all might be having a fun time, but that is nothing compared to what Elsa and I did Saturday night," she said to the painting. She then giggled silently as one of the newer maids made a point of walking by quickly and trying not to stare. It really was fun to prank the new staff like that, even if she could only do it once before the others explained it. As Anna walked to her own lessons, she wondered if she and Elsa would ever have portraits hung in the Portrait Hall and if there would ever be a future bored princess who talked to them for fun.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Expanding Education

A strong and fit man with short dark brown hair and brown eyes held a calm expression as his mind raced with thoughts of both curiosity and amazement. He had never been to such a grand place as he was now. He was also wondering why it was he was summoned. He was honestly surprised they even knew of him.

"Ah. You would be Mr. Vitus Landvik correct?" A large and finely dressed man with auburn hair and bald on top asked in a polite and respectful voice.

As he got out of the official car that brought him here, Vitus gave a bow and replied, "That is correct, sir." The man gave a nod in return and motioned for Vitus to follow him.

"My name is Kai. I'm the head butler to King Agnarr and Queen Iduna," he informed Vitus as he led the way.

As the two men made their way through the palace corridors, Vitus asked, "Can you tell me why I was summoned by the King and Queen, Sir Kai?"

"Sorry but I can't. It is something they wish to keep rather secretive," he quickly replied. Kai then gave the other man a smile as he added, "Besides, you will find out from the King and Queen yourself soon enough, Mr. Landvik."

Despite the training he had taken long ago, Vitus couldn't help but show his surprise at that. He figured one of the staff or someone else would have explained to him what was going on here. He managed to regain control of his expression by the time they reached the doors to the throne room.

Once they entered the throne room, Kai led Vitus over to the side and instructed him to wait. Vitus was only a little surprised seeing the man who was currently in front of the Royal Family. The Queen was looking over some papers briefly before placing them on a table to the side. "We will as always look over the details of the agreement in the next few days and get back to you as soon as we have reached a decision. At a first glance, this does look to be mutually beneficial as all our dealings are. As always, you prove yourself to have a rather good sense for business, Lord Malfoy."

A well-dressed man with long blonde hair gave a bow and a smile. "You do me too much honor with your words, your Majesty," he replied. He then stood up and said, "I look forward to hearing your response." The man then gave another deep and respectful bow before exiting the throne room.

Vitus took notice the man didn't have his ever present snake cane. " _Makes sense if he's been here before. His magic would be severally muted here and he wouldn't want to appear 'weak' and in need of a cane if he couldn't use it to hide his wand,_ " he thought to himself as he watched Lucius Malfoy leave. He then stood up walked forward and gave a deep bow to the King and Queen. "You summoned me, Your Majesties?" he asked politely while still bowed before looking up to them.

"Yes we did, Vitus. If you will follow us," the Queen said as she nodded to Kai in dismissal, who bowed to them and left. "We will meet somewhere more private and explain why we summoned you and answer any questions you may have."

It wasn't long until they were deeper in the Palace. Vitus felt amazed and surprised as he realized they were in parts of the castle that usually only the servants and Royal Family used. Two guards opened a pair of doors before them as they entered what appeared to be a study.

Once the doors were closed, the King spoke to a female servant waiting nearby. "Gerda, would you bring us some tea," he said before turning to Vitus and asking, "Is there anything you wish to drink in particular? This might take some time."

Vitus was more curious and maybe a little nervous hearing those words. He shook his head and said, "Tea will be just fine, your Majesty." Gerda gave a nod as she left to go and fetch some.

"Have a seat, Mr. Landvik," Queen Iduna said as she motioned to the seat opposite where she was sitting as the King sat down next to her. "We'll wait until Gerda returns. It shouldn't be long," she added.

Vitus was glad for his training while they waited. He didn't let his nervousness get the better of him or even show. Vitus was a wizard and even attended Hogwarts, but he didn't go for a ministry job like many others would try. Instead he returned to his home of Arendelle and joined the military. He was glad for this choice because he actually learned something that most wizarding kind probably didn't know. He found out that training his body physically along with everything else actually improved his magic core and usage greatly.

During his training with the Arendelle military, he was able to raise his core to the point it felt as strong here as it did for him in Hogwarts, even with the muted effect Arendelle caused. He made trips to countries outside of Arendelle and was surprised how powerful he had become. He then focused more on controlling his power and eventually was able to join the Arendelle Magician's Society (ADMS). It was a selective group for magic users in Arendelle. He ended up studying even more on magic as well as making a career with the ADMS

The ADMS were a sort of magical force in Arendelle. They usually did most of their work outside of the country. They would also fight for Arendelle if there was ever a significant magical threat that made it to Arendelle's home front. That wasn't really something that had ever really happened in centuries, this was either because ADMS prevented that from happening or due to the Arendelle Magical Dampening Effect as it was sometimes called.

Despite the ADMS existing and working for the Crown, it was never clear if the Royal family knew much about it. Arendelle didn't really have a Ministry of Magic, because they didn't have much of a magical population that stayed in Arendelle. There were several Arendelle magic users in the rest of the world because they liked the power they felt when they weren't under the Arendelle Effect.

Vitus and the rest of the ADMS knew this wasn't because they were power hungry. It was just that once you spent years at a magical school you really noticed the difference when you came home. Many of these magicals actually worked for the ADMS from outside of Arendelle or as ambassadors with magical allies.

When Gerda returned with the tea, she served everyone. After taking a sip, the Queen spoke, "Let's get right down to business." She looked Vitus in the eyes and said, "We know you are a wizard and that you work with the ADMS, Mr. Landvik."

Vitus' brown eyes widened in surprise. There was no way his training could really have prepared him for that. It also proved that the Royal Family knew of ADMS for sure. He was about to ask a question, but the Queen continued, "We know a lot about the ADMS and to an extent the magical world. That is not really why we brought you here today though."

The Queen then sipped more on her tea as her husband continued, "We actually brought you here today regarding our eldest daughter."

"Princess Elsa has the gift?" Vitus almost blurted out in surprise. The King and Queen nodded to this. "Then that means she'll be going to Hogwarts most likely and learn about magic there, your Majesties."

The Queen gave a nod to that. "We know this. If a member of the Royal family awakens the gift early enough, they go to Hogwarts under the alias Evergreen. The rock trolls even told us again when we visited them regarding certain other matters."

He was wondering what he was doing here and so he listened having composed himself again. "As I'm sure you've figured out, there's more to it than that alone," the King said earning a nod from Vitus. He hadn't guessed that, but it made sense to him and he usually would have if he wasn't so caught off guard by this sudden influx of information.

"What we are about to tell you is a very high level secret. Apart from you it will only be our most trusted staff here, your superior and the rock trolls who know about it," the King said underlining the importance of what they were about to discuss.

The Queen started to speak again, "Many times when a member of the Royal family awakens the gift they receive more than just standard magic. They receive advanced powers. Elsa is extremely gifted with her's. In addition to the usual magic, she also has Ice Elemental powers."

Vitus' eyes widened again hearing that. No wonder it was such a high level secret. If that information got out, then the members of the family who had those powers would be bombarded by lots of people for different reasons before they were ready to deal with such matters. He was starting to get an idea on what they wanted, but he was sure there was probably already something setup to help with these things.

"She has already started her Queen training and that has helped her with learning more about her powers and controlling them, but the training is dated. While it does work very well, we think there has to be more that could help her. The Rock trolls have helped her some in recent weeks, but their magic is different," The Queen said.

She then took a sip before looking at him again and saying, "We've heard great things about you, Mr. Landvik. We've heard you are very talented with magic yourself. Elsa can do a very good job training herself, but we would like it if you would help train her. We're sure she could greatly benefit from your instruction and if things do get a little out of control it would be nice for someone of your talents to be there."

"Does the Princess lose control of her powers often?" Vitus asked.

"Very rarely if ever. She likes to experiment though and that is when things can get a little out of hand obviously," the King answered.

"How talented and advanced is she with her ice powers?" Vitus asked. He would be very much on board with this idea if she was talented and advanced enough. Not that he really felt like he had a choice in the matter, since it was a request from the Royal family.

"She's been using her powers since she was three years old. She is competent enough with them that we never really felt scared to let her and Anna play using them. There was an accident that happened, but that wasn't because of her lack of skill. It was just a bad situation. A good example of what she can do might be how she could with ease turn the Main Dance hall into a Winter Wonderland," the Queen said.

Vitus was trying to imagine that, but couldn't really picture it. Either way it sounded pretty impressive. "Will you do as asked, Mr. Landvik?" the King asked.

Vitus nodded to this as he said, "I'll gladly accept this request. I'm guessing everything is already setup with the ADMS to allow me to help Princess Elsa?" The rulers nodded. "Do you have a place in mind for us to meet for her lessons?"

"We wanted to have your help with that. You will be training her and you are the expert, Mr. Landvik," the Queen responded.

"Would it be okay if your Majesties called me Vitus?" he asked.

"We can do that, Vitus. Thank you again for agreeing to this," the Queen answered with a smile.

He took a sip of his tea before saying, "It's not every lifetime one gets a request to train a Princess of Arendelle in magic. I will of course want a demonstration from her of what she is capable of currently. Are there any limits on what I help teach her?"

"While we may not agree with everything she wants to learn regarding using her powers. The truth is her requests are probably for the best. She wants to be able to use them effectively and quickly even in combat. She figures that would be the best way to improve her agility and response time with them," the Queen sighed.

The King sighed as well before adding, "The accident we spoke about earlier could have cost Anna's life if we hadn't acted fast and took her to the Rock Trolls. Elsa isn't blaming herself as much for that now, but she still thinks if she was able to act quicker the accident wouldn't have happened in the first place. She has to be a lot more careful with her powers now, and can't use them in front Anna. This is due to the process used to heal Anna and not because we see her as a danger. However, at times she feels that she is a danger despite the level of control she actually has."

Vitus nodded to this. "That is really impressive on Princess Elsa's end. When we magicals are young, outbursts of uncontrolled magic are common. Most of the time they don't do a lot of damage or anything, but in Britain they do have a branch of the ministry that helps deal with accidental magic. It has expanded to include more than just underaged magic users, but that was actually the original reason for its founding. Judging on what you told me, Princess Elsa will be quite the witch when she grows up."

"That is what we believe and pretty much what the rock trolls have hinted to us," the Queen said.

Vitus was in thought for a moment as he sipped his tea. "Regarding where her lessons will take place, may we have permission to use either the mountains or the protected Royal Forest grounds? Those places would be easier to protect and we wouldn't have to worry about people accidentally spotting us as much."

"Will you be able to keep others away as well in general?" the King asked.

"Yes. I know of a number of ways to protect the area. I would just settle for taking her to the ADMS, but you mentioned keeping it a secret and I'm guessing you want your knowledge of the organization to be held in limited confidence," he replied.

The King and Queen nodded as they pulled out a few maps of the areas he mentioned. "It really is too bad there is a well-known ski lodge up in the mountains that is a very popular vacation destination. If it was a hundred or two hundred years ago Elsa could make an extravagant and large Ice Palace up there and no one would be the wiser," the Queen sighed.

"The forest it is then I'm guessing," Vitus asked getting a nod from the rulers in return. "Are there prohibited locations varying by the seasons? I would rather we not disturb any endangered species and bring that kind of negative attention to ourselves."

The King walked over to another part of the wall and pulled out a few more maps and laid them out on a different table. The Queen and Vitus gathered around him. "While they aren't necessarily endangered, we take pride in our wolf and fox populations and these are the areas they usually make their territory," the King said while he pointed out a few places on the maps which had easy to find natural landmarks annotated.

Vitus and the King and Queen continued to look over the map and discuss it. Vitus also decided he might as well get a better idea on what the King and Queen waited from his instructing Elsa and what they princess wanted. He would then also discuss his working ideas before meeting her. Once he finished meeting her, he would discuss how his plans would change at that point. Many would think having a plan before hand was pointless, but Vitus saw his first plans as a stone base to be shaped as he saw fit later.

{-} {-} {-}

Elsa gave a stretch as she finished another lesson with the trolls. She had started lessons with them not too long ago. It was soon clear to her that while the Queen training helped a lot, it wasn't enough for her. Sadly, the trolls couldn't really teach their magic to her no matter how often she asked. They would always say, "Our magic is different. You aren't ready for it. You may never be."

She would then respond in different ways the most common was to look over to Kristoff and say, "But he's human and your teaching him."

They would just shake their heads and say, "He is different." Elsa usually gave a slight frown to such a response. She might have wanted to be angry at Kristoff at first, but he was too nice and the only person her age she talked to apart from Anna. She actually felt she was cheating because Anna hadn't met Kristoff, even if she didn't really talk that much to him. He was busy with his own things a lot of the time.

Her first time meeting the boy was interesting. She had arrived with her dad to speak to Grand Pabbie of the trolls. They had expected many things, but a cheerful young blonde boy greeting them with a wide grin wasn't one of them.

"Hello, Your Majesty. Hello, Your Highness," the boy said with an unrefined bow. He was Elsa's age.

"Hello, young sir," her father said as he looked at the boy.

The boy blushed and bowed again and said, "My name's Kristoff. Your Majesty, Mr. King sir."

Her father gave a chuckle, "I've never been called Mr. King sir, before."

"Awww… Your Majesty then," Kristoff corrected himself.

Elsa looked him over and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Ohhh… Yeah. I'm living with the trolls. They're my family now," he replied with a smile.

"What happened to your old family?" Elsa asked carefully.

Kristoff frowned to that. "My dad died before I was born. My mom got really sick and then she died a couple of years back… She lived a lot longer than she should have according to the doctors." The boy smiled again. "The trolls found me and Sven shortly after that!"

"Who's Sven?" Elsa asked. Her dad was oddly content to just let them do the talking.

"Ohhh. I'll let you meet him! He's the best! Sven! Here Sven!" Kristoff called.

To both royals' surprise, a young reindeer that seemed to act more like a really large dog bounded into the clearing. It was even panting… It was a very curious sight. Sven also seemed to be very friendly, because he right away came over and greeted Elsa with a lick of his tongue. "Sven! You shouldn't just lick people." Kristoff said in a serious voice once he saw the shock on Elsa's face. Sven gave a sad expression and his antlers almost seemed to droop like a dog's ears.

"Sorry about that…. Your Highness, but that means he already likes you. Unless you had a carrot hidden away," Kristoff said. The reindeer dog then gave Elsa puppy dog eyes and the princess came out of her shock and instead of being mad she unsurely patted Sven on the head.

The King enjoyed his daughter's reaction to the scene for a bit before speaking again, "Kristoff, can you take us to see Grand Pabbie?" Kristoff gladly did and the royals were again surprised when the elder troll had actually been expecting them to come to him eventually.

"We will help how we can, but her magic is different from ours. However, there are ways we can help her. The truth is the Queen training isn't ever supposed to be enough alone, even if they aren't going to Hogwarts. They never talk about it because they can't, but all of the previous royals who have awakened their powers have come to us for some training. We will at times make other arrangements as well," he told them.

He then gave a smile to Elsa and said, "Your grandmother was one of those cases. We have powers that allow us to blend in with Humans. Your grandmother was taking lessons from one of our own the whole time in addition to others."

Elsa had been really excited for this rock troll training at the time, but it was different from what she expected it to be. It was most of the time just the next levels of what was started by the Queen Training she was already taking. They had helped her in other ways as well, though.

The one thing Elsa really enjoyed was learning how to feel and listen to the flows of magic around her. It was similar to what she had experienced at times when she was younger, but now she was learning how do so whenever she wanted. It was truly amazing and beautiful at times.

As for how Kristoff was learning from them differently, well it turned out he was learning to be what the trolls call a Guardian Keeper. "What does that mean?" Elsa asked.

"He uses magic to help us with our duties. It is very rare, but we have had them in the past before. Oddly enough they usually experience misfortune such as young Kristoff first. Magic in its essence can be very harsh, but it is also very beautiful. A lot like nature is. The two are interconnected in a way," one of the trolls named Jade told her.

"If it's magic, then how come I can't learn it?" Elsa asked out of curiosity. Her powers she always felt were nature based, since she could summon ice, snow, and even cool air at her whim more or less.

"While your powers are nature powers, they come from within you. From your Royal Bloodline. This is how it is with the royal family. Kristoff, being a Guardian Keeper in training, in a way borrows the magic of the land. He is able to do so in exchange for helping to protect the source here in Arendelle," Jade answered.

"Would anyone else be able to borrow magic of the land?" Elsa asked.

"Yes, but very rarely and not to the extent he does. Others have to either learn to use nature forces on their own magic power, or through rituals. Even then. They won't be able to do so to the extent he can or match the power you have, Elsa," Jade answered the curious princess.

Elsa had learned a lot from the trolls over the short time she had been learning from them already. However, she still felt like it wasn't enough for her to make sure she never again hurt others like she did Anna. She would again mention it to her parents. They told her she didn't have to worry about it and they were looking into it, but they were busy with important matters and so reminding them every so often was still a good idea.

It was finally time for Elsa to return to the castle with a rock troll known as Rose Diamond. Rose was kind of a caretaker for magic users in Arendelle. She also was known in her human form in the castle and the surrounding area, so she was the one escorting Elsa to and from her Rock Troll lessons.

Rose loved to usually disguise herself as an elegant looking lady in her early 40s with dark hair. She even knew how to act the part as well when needed. It was a pretty good disguise for someone who would be dealing with the Royal family. The two made small talk on the way back to the castle.

"Welcome back, Princess Elsa." Kai said with a smile. "Were your lessons good, today?"

Elsa smiled in return, "Yes they were! I got even better with my exercises and will be starting something new soon enough I was told." Kai smiled to her and nodded. "Are mom and dad busy? I was wanting to speak with them," she asked.

"Actually, they were wishing to speak with you as well once you returned," Kai answered before thanking Miss Rose for escorting Elsa back and bidding her good day. "If you will follow me," he then said to Elsa and led the way.

Elsa was curious what they wanted to talk to her about. She couldn't think of any reason she would be in trouble. If it was anything else they wanted to talk about, they usually spoke to her at dinner or afterwards. If they wanted to speak to her about magic, they would meet her in her room.

Kai opened the door to one of her parents' studies that they used for private meetings of what they deemed high importance. Elsa entered and quickly noticed a talk muscular man sitting in a chair. Elsa looked to him and assumed what she called her Queen mode. She was a mix of curiosity and concern.

"How was your day, Honey?" her mom asked with a smile. Elsa relaxed and smiled back.

"It was really good. I progressed in my studies today and it feels like I'm making progress. Though I do have some concerns I wish to speak with you about later regarding my training," Elsa replied as she came over to her mom's side.

Her father was standing by a table with some maps on them. The other man stood up and her mother spoke again. "That is actually what we wanted to talk to you about. This man here is named Vitus Landvik. He is a magic user and a very advanced one at that."

Elsa looked to him with wonder in her eyes. There was no longer any concern but instead full curiosity and excitement in them, though the young princess maintained her composure on the outside. The man gave her a deep bow. "The King and Queen have told me you are very advanced with your powers. I am here to help you learn about using them and to help you physically train as well."

"Physical training?" the young princess asked.

"Yes. Your parents told me you were most concerned with your agility and usage speed. Physical training will help with that greatly. I will be requiring a demonstration of your powers as they are now, so I can get an even better idea on what course to take," Vitus said.

Elsa smiled and looked to her parents, "When can we start?" she asked eagerly.

"When you want, Elsa. It could even be today, but it might cut into the time you usually spend with Anna," the King said to her.

Elsa was in thought on the matter. This was really important, but so was spending time with Anna. Elsa sighed as she thought on the matter a little longer. She then gave a deeper sigh. "In this one instance… I feel like this is more important… I hope Anna won't hate me…" she said the worry showing in her voice.

"I'm sure your best little sister ever will understand, Sweetie," her mom said with a reassuring smile. "Can you get her to the place we discussed quickly?" she asked Vitus.

"Yes, I can. I can even take more than one person if you would like, but this time I will have to actually see the place first," Vitus said to the King and Queen.

They were in thought for a moment before looking to each other. They both wanted to go and see how their daughter had grown with her powers, but they couldn't do that because they had a country to run. "I would like it if Liv and Kai went with you two. They both know about Elsa's powers," the Queen finally said.

Vitus nodded to them and gave a deep bow. "It is an honor to have met you, my King and Queen. I am honored you felt I am up for this task." The King and Queen gave him nods as they told them to wait outside the kitchens for the others.

Elsa was smiling a bit as she followed Vitus. She was happy about this. She felt relieved that she was about to start training that would help her even more and keep her from ever hurting Anna again. She almost doubted her choice to start today though, when they ran into Anna looking like she was about to 'sneak' into the kitchens. She probably was going to 'steal' a chocolate or something.

"Elsa!" Anna said with a big wide grin. Anna loved chocolate, but she loved her family more, especially her big sister. She rushed over and gave Elsa a hug in hello. She then noticed the man standing next to her. "Do you have a new private bodyguard?" she asked quietly causing Elsa to giggle a little as Vitus gave the smallest hint of a sigh.

"No," Elsa answered before then frowning a little. "This is Vitus. He's a new teacher of mine. We have to go somewhere today and I don't know for how long it will be."

Anna frowned at this and looked at Vitus with a bit of sadness and anger in her eyes. It soon vanished though as she sighed. "It isn't always going to be like this from now on for Saturdays, is it?" she asked not at all bothering to hide her worry and sadness at the prospect.

Elsa gave her a comforting hug and reassuring smile as she said, "No, it won't be. It is just for today. Luckily, my usual schedule should be freeing up a little now since I have finished some of my lessons completely and so it won't make much of a noticeable difference. Isn't that right, Mr. Vitus?" she asked looking to him and making it clear this was as close to a royal order a princess her age could give.

Vitus nodded. "That is correct. We will go over the schedule later, your highness. Do not worry, Princess Anna. I have no intention of stealing away your sister."

Anna seemed relieved by that and smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Vitus." She then turned to Elsa and said, "I guess I will see you later tonight then?"

Elsa gave her a reassuring hug again and said, "Yes, you will, Anna. We can even stay up later, since I won't have classes tomorrow." Anna gave a smile and left.

Shortly after she left, Kai and Liv arrived. "Good to see you again, Sir Kai. It is nice to meet you, Miss Liv," Vitus introduced himself to Elsa's personal maid. "Would you mind leading the way out of here. Do you have a car we can use that won't cause notice?" he asked.

Kai led them to his car in the employee underground parking garage near to the Palace. Once inside, Kai asked, "Where are we going for Princess Elsa's demonstration?"

"The Royal Forest," Vitus answered. Kai drove off and it didn't take long for them to make it to the forest. "Pull off somewhere not easily seen from the roads please," Vitus said. Once they were parked and everyone was outs of the car, Vitus had them follow him.

Fortunately, they wouldn't be going too far into the forest. "In the future, we won't need a car to get here, Elsa. I have a way of getting us here and out without being noticed. However, I needed to see part of the forest first. So long as there is a room in Arendelle Palace we can use without being noticed, especially by a certain younger princess, I will be able to get us here and back almost instantly each way."

"That sounds very handy. I'll show you such a place once we return before you depart, Mr. Landvik," Kai said.

"Will I be able to do that someday?" Elsa asked. She thought that it sounded really cool to be able to just appear wherever you wanted to be that quickly.

"Perhaps when you are older. You will learn one method of such travel when you are in your later years at Hogwarts, but my method is much more comfortable and less likely to go wrong," Vitus said.

"I'm excited to get to see your magic, Princess Elsa. I've not seen it in a long time," Liv said. She had seen Elsa's magic a couple of times back before the incident. She always thought it was kind of pretty.

"You will get to see plenty today, Miss Liv. I am going to have the young princess show us all she can do," Vitus said. Elsa paused in her steps her eyes widening a little. "Do not worry, Princess Elsa. I am very much capable of protecting all of us," Vitus reassured her.

He hadn't seen what she could do, but from what he had learned from her parents and knowing himself, he was sure it would be fine. He also knew some ADMS secrets that would really be helpful if things did get very bad. There was also the fact that the King and Queen wanted him to also get Elsa more confident in herself and using her powers. Sure, she was learning to control them, but that wasn't exactly the same as using them freely when she wanted.

It took a little while for them to get to a clearing Vitus was happy with for the demonstration. "Alright. If you two would stand to the side or behind Princess Elsa, we can shortly begin. Which works better for you, your highness?" he asked.

She was in thought for a moment. "I think I'd rather they be off to the side and a good distance away." They did as she asked. Vitus stood directly in front of her and pulled out his wand. "What is that?" Elsa asked as he started to walk around the area.

"This is a wizard's and witch's tool. It is called a wand. They have a lot of work put into them by specialized wand makers and they serve as a focus, if you will. There is a branch called Wandless Magic where you don't need a wand, but it takes a lot of work and even then, the best wandless practitioners still use a wand most of the time. You might be good at wandless magic someday, given you have the gift," Vitus said as he started waving his wand here and there.

He put up a more advanced repelling charm. He was sure if he put up a muggle repelling charm on the area it would either not work thanks to the Arendelle peoples' natural resistance, or it would cause Liv and Kai to get lost in the woods or at the very least head back to the castle. Vitus placed a few more protections around the area before returning to standing in front of Elsa.

"Alright, Princess Elsa. Show me what you are capable of doing already with your powers," Vitus said as he got into a ready stance.

Elsa seemed unsure of this idea. " _Let's see how this goes,_ " she thought. She started forming snowballs in the air before launching them at Vitus. He easily sent them off to the side or caused them to crumble. Elsa decided to speed them up. She then started to send them at Vitus from different angles. Vitus was able to deal with them easily. She might have caught him slightly off guard with the different angles, but it wasn't long until he adapted.

She kept doing the snow balls before making them bigger. She sent them flying at him and she even caused a large snow boulder to burst into smaller ones. Vitus was actually finding this kind of fun, but it wasn't what he was looking for. He could tell she was being careful. "I highly doubt this is what you are really capable of, princess. You shouldn't disobey your instructor," he said in a serious voice.

Elsa's cheeks seemed to pink a little knowing she was caught. She sighed and took in a deep breath. She soon started launching ice spikes at him. Vitus dealt with them as well, but was a little impressed. Still it wasn't enough. He started launching snowballs at her to see what she could do. Elsa blinked when the first one hit her in the face. She then threw more ice spikes at him. When he sent more snow balls at her, she caused them to burst apart or froze them solid so they fell to the ground. She even sent a few back at him. She did this all with just waves and motions of her hands.

This was far more impressive than he thought she could do, but he could tell there was much more to her. "Come on Princess Elsa. Take the gloves off! Both figuratively and literally," he said to her. He was told about the gloves. She used them as a sheath, but her parents thought it was time she moved past that. They also knew she did love the gloves in general, but that made it easier for her to start using them as a crutch.

Elsa sighed. "Are you sure about this?" she asked.

Vitus nodded and said, "More than sure. I need to see you at your max power, Princess Elsa. Otherwise I won't be able to know how to train you. You won't hurt either Kai or Liv. They are safe. I am more than capable of protecting myself. I've lived through wizard battles of even the nastiest kind. I never took my training lightly."

Elsa took the gloves off and took in a calming breath. She then looked at him with focused eyes. "I like that look," Vitus said. He was ready now and he could she was as well.

The wind in the area grew colder as a snow storm seemed to blow up out of nowhere. Vitus cast a spell to protect his eyes from the winds. He could tell the storm was just confined to the area. The snow turned to small ice shards that were darting this way and that way. He had small cuts form on his arms that stung. He cast a spell that protected him from them. He was glad he cast special protections around their spectators as well earlier with the way it was seeming to go.

The wind was stronger and then ice spikes and hardened snow balls started flying at him from different directions. He countered them and he even sent some at her that she dealt with easily. He decided to try something else. He launched a fire spell at her. The fire seemed to extinguish as some of the snow around it melted dousing the flame. That was impressive and something to keep in mind for later.

He started launching spells at her faster. He then noticed they seemed to all start hitting an ice shield of some kind before it and the spells cancelled each other out. This was starting to get a little thrilling. He then saw as a few small snow men charged him head on.

His eyes widened. He quickly started casting blasting curses at them. They didn't immediately burst, but they did stop before falling apart. He was looking down when suddenly the now snow-covered ground launched him upwards and a massive snow ball barrage shot towards him.

"Protego!" he said as a shield formed in front of him and the snow balls and ice spikes broke on it. The shield soon shattered. He countered with more attack spells, but nothing that would actually hurt her badly. The spells however were strong and would test her defenses. He saw Elsa moving her arms around as she tried to run from side to side. " _She has good instincts,_ " he thought. She wasn't doing like many wizards would do and just staying still while relying on their magic.

He landed on the ground and started to move again as the ground was now trying to again launch him. More ice and snow tried to hit him. He was moving when suddenly the snow around him seemed to swell up before collapsing in on him.

"Fria Protage," he said as he made some wand movements and he was surrounded by what looked like a fire shield. It wasn't as effective as it should have been in this situation, but it was enough. He also suspected the spell's lowered effectiveness was due to the power of Elsa's.

He got out of the collapsed snow and started moving again. He concentrated and tapped his wand to his feet. He was able to move faster on the snow-covered ground now. Again, he found himself surrounded by snow on all sides, but this time snow balls started launching at him from the walls of snow as they threatened to collapse on him.

"She really is something," he said to himself impressed as he cast his fire shield again. He started to run up the snow bank walls a little and even jumped into the air to launch spells at her.

Elsa's eyes widened in surprise as she quickly brought up an ice wall shield. She then shot some ice at Vitus while she also stomped on the ground. Ice spikes popped up under where he would fall. She was ready to remove them if he didn't react fast enough, but he did. He cast a spell that blasted a landing area for him. She then tried to collapse the remaining ice spikes on him, but he cast some kind of fire spell that seemed like a whip or something and it surrounded him in a larger fire barrier thing that melted the ice or blasted it back.

She was starting to get a little exhausted from her efforts. She hadn't used so much of her magic like this before that she could think of. The Winter Wonder land she made for her and Anna many times wasn't like this. She was panting ready to continue, but Vitus spoke over the area. "Alright enough, Princess Elsa!" he said loud for her to hear easily.

She relaxed and fell to the ground. The snow she had conjured up went still. The banking walls collapsed one last time. She sighed. She liked how she felt. She had forgotten how good it felt to use her powers. She looked at her ungloved hands with a bit of wonder as it started to sink in what all she had just done.

Vitus came over to the princess as he quickly caught his breath. He had to go out a lot more than he thought he would. The fire spells he used weren't easy. He would have to get in better shape himself he decided. He had been taking it easy for a while. He figured after everything he had done he deserved a bit of a break.

"That was very impressive, Princess Elsa," Vitus said.

"Please," she said as she let out her breath and breathed in deeply. "Call me Elsa. It will get to be a bit much if you keep calling me Princess Elsa all the time. Liv doesn't usually unless the situation requires it. And Kai is well Kai."

Speaking of the two, they quickly ran over to her with impressed smiles. Kai gave her applause and Liv gave her a quick hug. "That was amazing, Elsa!" she said. She then turned to Vitus and said, "You were too, sir."

"No need to say that to me. This was about Elsa here," he said. He turned to Elsa and asked, "So how long do you need to rest?"

"Do I leave the snow or remove it?" she asked.

"You can do that without causing a flood?" Vitus asked. Elsa nodded. "Leave it for now. I want to see other things you can do," he said to her.

"Just a few minutes then," Elsa said.

"Okay then, does fifteen sound good?" He asked. She nodded. That would be more than enough for her.

He sat down. Elsa giggled as she made snow chairs for them all. Surprisingly they weren't too cold or uncomfortable, in fact the whole area was cold, but it wasn't a cold that bothered him unlike earlier somehow. " _She really is amazing. I want to help her all I can,_ " Vitus thought to himself. He was tempted to take his boss up on that instructor offer now if this went well. It would help both Arendelle and the ADMS.

{-} {-} {-}

Once there fifteen-minute break was over, Elsa stood up and was ready to get back to work. "What are we doing now?" she asked.

Vitus stood up, "When we were sparring earlier you sent a couple of snow men after me. How did you do that?" Elsa looked at him questioningly as she just moved her hands together a little and two snow men appeared next to her and saluted. Vitus gave a whistle. "How advanced are they? Can they think on their own?"

"They can just follow simple orders. If I make them smaller they might be able to follow more complex orders, but they are pretty much just programed dolls. They can't really think on their own. Also, if I make them too big they get sluggish. I do work on that during winter when I can sneak away on my own. It's easier if there is already snow on the ground," Elsa answered.

"Well you have a very base level golem here with them. That is very impressive. Constructing these things is a lost art. What else can you make with your powers?" Vitus asked.

Elsa smiled. She was looking forward to this. She loved making things out of ice and snow with her powers. She started moving her hands and while moving around she was rather carefree with this part of the demonstration. She didn't even ask for Kai and Liv to get back.

Vitus could only look around and chuckle a little. He was so surprised that he dropped his professional demeanor.

She had made a few small-scale, but fancy play houses. She had made a lot more magical snowmen. She had made some really pretty ice sculptures. This was something Anna used to love when they were little. "I really wish I could still do these things with Anna," she sighed under her breath as she felt a little sad.

Her mood improved as she made more progress on her current assignment. She made an ice sculpture of a dancing boy and girl inside an ice fountain and they turned slowly together. She made a four-poster snow bed with ice bead curtains. She even threw some snow into the air and formed large beautiful star shaped snowflakes that twirled a little but stayed in place.

"Alright. I think that is enough for today, Elsa," Vitus said. Elsa groaned and gave a frown. She was having a lot of fun. "We have been out here for a good while. I don't think Princess Anna would appreciate me keeping her big sister away from her any longer."

Elsa gasped and her eyes widened, "Let's go then. Quickly!" she said.

"What do we do about all of this?" Vitus asked as he motioned to the ice and snow around them. It wasn't exactly a snowy time of the year.

Elsa closed her eyes and with several hand motions all of the snow and everything she had created seemed to vaporize. "There. Let's go now!" she said hurriedly. She knew Anna was probably sitting in her room waiting on her to get back and not doing much of anything. She had promised to spend plenty of time with her after this was over. Elsa led the way back to their car quickly.

They returned as fast as they could legally. Elsa was tempted to get them to go faster by Crown Princess decree, but Liv spoke up to her. "Princess Elsa. That is very selfish and not proper behavior of a Crown Princess. Especially one who has already been taking her Queen lessons for a while now and should know better."

Elsa blushed. "Sorry… I just feel like I wasted too much time having fun out there without Anna." Liv couldn't help but give a smile and laugh a little. Really, the princess was such a cute kid at times. She was also happy to see Elsa wasn't currently wearing her gloves either. The princess was holding them in her lap and seemed completely relaxed like that, even after having used her powers so much. This was already a sign of progress in Liv's eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Letter Arrives

Anna giggled. Elsa pretended to stroke the paper beard she had made and wore on her face. They were playing with crafting supplies together. It had started out with them cutting out letters for a Christmas card they were making to give their parents along with their presents. However, that slowly evolved, or devolved depending on your point of view, into the girls playing with construction paper. Anna started it by cutting out a silly hat she wore on her head. It was good luck they had already cut out all the letters they needed for the card, but they had done that a while ago.

Elsa's lessons hadn't interfered with their time together, though she would be tired sometimes. Vitus' lessons required a good bit of physical training after all. "Why would you do that? It sounds hard. I mean I love running and such, but doing so as a way of exercising?" Anna asked one time.

"True it is tough, but I like how I feel afterwards. I first had to get used to it," Elsa replied. She then smiled and said, "Plus, I won't have to ever worry about getting fat even if I do pig out on chocolate when I'm older and I keep it up." Anna was suddenly considering taking physical training after that.

Liv and Arlene were watching over the girls and had to admit the girls were being pretty creative with their paper crafts. Granted the two princesses were also making a bit of a mess and the maids would have to clean up, even after the girls cleaned up once their selves. Still they were making some pretty things, even if they also made silly hats and paper beards that Elsa decided doubled as chest hair much to Anna's amusement.

The girls were going to be giving their parents things they had made for Christmas. They were also performing a couple of Christmas songs together. Elsa was pretty good with the flute and Anna wasn't too far into learning the violin, but she knew enough to play some songs. Ms. Maren had worked with both girls on putting the small concert together. Both girls were also excited and getting ready for the Palace's Winter Party.

The Queen and King made a tradition of throwing a Winter Party for nobles and other important people of Arendelle. The people didn't see the princesses often, because their parents wanted to protect them, but the Winter Party and the Summer Party thrown at the palace were two times the people got to see their princesses. Both Anna and Elsa of course had guards keeping an eye on them during the event, but the people at this party were Arendelle citizens and they were not about to try anything.

While the girls loved the party, they didn't usually stay for too long and they rarely ever saw anyone else their age at these things. If there was someone their age at the party they were usually kept close to their parents until a trusted member of that family's detail took them back to where they were staying.

Still holidays were a spectacle in Arendelle. The snow was lovely and there were lots of holiday events they all got to enjoy as a family. Anna always really looked forward to the Nutcracker Ballet they went to each year. She loved seeing all of the dancers and the music.

Elsa liked the Nutcracker too, but she usually enjoyed seeing A Christmas Carol more along with one of the local plays they would see each year. This year there was something more she was excited about and dreading. The rock trolls told her she would be receiving her first Hogwarts letter on her eleventh birthday. Her birthday was December 21st and part of the winter celebrations. This meant she would get her letter this year and very soon.

The first letter came on or close too a witch's or wizard's eleventh birthday. This was usually done as a way to give future students notice and for those from non-magical families, it gave them time to get in touch with someone regarding questions if they wanted. The rest of her letters from second year on would come over the summer break during a mass mailing.

Elsa had mixed feelings about the letter because she knew what it meant. She wouldn't always be in the palace spending time with Anna. In fact, part of the reason Elsa took spending time with her younger sister so seriously was as a way to make up for having to go away to Hogwarts. She would be spending most of her school year at Hogwarts and in a completely different country.

The Queen training she had been taking helped with this some, because she learned English along with some other languages. She would be studying other languages as well too in the future. English was given a priority because of her going to Hogwarts. It also helped her learning the language because the people of Arendelle actually liked speaking English. It was a bit of a past time to them even.

Elsa hadn't fully wrapped her head around the fact that come next fall she wouldn't be in Arendelle. She wouldn't even be a princess either. Well she would still be Crown Princess Elsa of Arendelle, but she wouldn't be a princess in the eyes everyone else. She would be Elsa Evergreen from some country up north. The trolls told her Hogwarts had ancient protections that would help keep her identity a secret. She could tell people, but she was going to keep that information close to her chest.

Still, she would be in a completely different country. She wouldn't be close to Anna. She wouldn't be able to play at night with Anna because the sky was awake and that meant they had to play something. Anna had been told about this and she didn't take it too well at first.

Anna had actually locked herself in her room out of anger for a few days. Elsa again partly cursed her powers. She didn't like that situation at all. It had taken time, but Anna eventually came around and they all told her it was a tradition for the Crown Princess to attend a foreign boarding school if there were two princesses. That way the Crown Princess experienced life in a different country and learned how to better fit in and not offend people there. The other princess learned what it was like to have extra responsibilities during that time in case she ever had to be acting ruler for whatever reason.

It was a lie and Elsa really hated that, but fortunately her parents were the ones who usually had to handle it. Anna might ask what Elsa thought about going to a boarding school, but she didn't get into a discussion about the reasons behind it. Anna did feel a little bit better when she was told the school had a good length holiday break and a Spring break and an Easter holiday break and that Elsa would always come back for the summer.

Elsa felt like their knowing it wouldn't last was part of the reason she and Anna would do silly things together like making silly paper hats and beards. She guessed most ten to eleven-year-old girls didn't do such things with their past time. Sometimes she would play board games with Anna, and Elsa guessed that was more normal. Not that she really cared. Well okay she did care, but mostly because she was going to soon be surrounded by lots of kids her age and she didn't know what kids her age usually did.

She was pretty sure they didn't spar using ice magic, or learn about international and domestic economics and accounting. They also probably didn't have the occasional mock Royal Court session or sit down and actually observe a real Royal Court session, even if she did so in a way she wasn't noticed or interfered with proceedings. She was also pretty sure they didn't learn more than just one foreign language.

Elsa gave a sigh.

Anna looked up and frowned a little. "Elsa? You're thinking about it, again aren't you?" she asked.

Elsa sighed and nodded. "I know it is still a way off, but I don't know what kids our age usually do. I'm pretty sure they aren't raised as actual princesses." Elsa gave a scoff, "Some of them are probably treated like a princess, but don't know what it actually means to be one."

"That just means you'll be better than them," Anna said as if that answered the question.

"I'm a little overwhelmed by the fact I will be around so many people my age and a little older. We've both hung around Kristoff some every now and then when he visits, but he's also had a much different upbringing from kids our age," Elsa said.

Anna giggled, "Plus he's a boy and boys are smelly."

"I'm pretty sure that's just Kristoff," Elsa giggled back as Anna giggled louder. Kristoff didn't usually smell, but sometimes he did due to his chores and how a shower wasn't always enough. Elsa gave another sigh.

Anna nudged her and smiled. "You'll be fine, Elsa. You're the best big sister ever!"

Elsa felt happier hearing that. She then gave Anna a surprise hug. "I really am sorry about this. I'm also sorry for being selfish. I know this isn't easy on you, Anna."

Anna gave a shrug. "It can't be helped. That's why I just do what I can to make the best of the time we do have until then. It won't be easy, but at least we have all of those holidays. You'll have to tell me all you can about it."

"I'll try but this sounds like one of those things that isn't easy to explain," Elsa said. She then gave a smile as she said, "Perhaps we should finish up what we originally planned to do and then go outside and play in the snow." Anna smiled to that and nodded before they got back to actually making the Christmas card for their parents.

{-} {-} {-}

On December 21st, the letter arrived. Elsa was looking out her window. She had this Saturday off because it was her birthday and close to Christmas. She admired the view of the snowcapped gardens and palace walls. She was surprised when there was a knock on her door.

"Come in," she called and a puzzled Liv walked inside before quickly and quietly closing the door behind her. She was holding a thick envelope of some kind.

"This is for you… I believe it is that letter. It was very odd. It was inside another envelope addressed to me and it had instructions to forward this to you immediately. The address is very oddly worded…" Liv said as she handed it over.

The thick envelope was made of yellow parchment. Elsa looked it over. It had a purple wax seal with what she guessed was the Hogwarts official School Seal. It had a large shield with a letter H in the middle surrounded by a snake, badger, lion and raven. The top of the seal read "Hogwarts" while the bottom said, "Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus"

Elsa gave a giggle at that. The motto translated into "Never Tickle a Sleeping Dragon." She was sure it was serious, but using the word tickle made it hard to take seriously. She had never seen a dragon, but she wouldn't doubt they existed. After all, she knew of a whole clan of rock trolls and she had ice powers and magic.

She read the address:

 _Crown Princess Elsa 'Evergreen' of Arendelle_

 _Arendelle Palace_

 _Princess suite: [exact location unknown send via personal maid, Liv]_

Elsa wondered just how exact the address would usually get. Would it usually say something like, "Princess suite: Third room to the left of the fifth terrace on the Southeast side" or something even more ridiculous?

"How was the envelope for you addressed?" Elsa asked Liv.

Liv shrugged, "Normally. That's why I thought this so odd."

Elsa nodded in thought. "Thank you, Liv. Would you bring me a pitcher of lemonade?" She wasn't in a tea mood at the moment. Liv gave a smile and bowed before leaving to fulfill the request.

Once Liv returned with the lemonade and set it up on the table in Elsa's room with some snacks, she bowed again and said, "Happy Birthday, Your Highness." She then smiled and left once Elsa thanked her.

The curious crown princess decided to open her letter after she closed and locked her door. Anna had a habit of just entering on her own and she did not want to have to explain this to her.

Elsa read the letter after briefly glancing at the header. She gave a chuckle as she shook her head at the Headmaster's many titles.

 _Dear Crown Princess Elsa Evergreen,_

 _I am personally honored and pleased Your Highness has awakened what your people call the gift. As has always been the case with fellow witches and wizards of Arendelle since the founding of Hogwarts, Your Highness has been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I do hope the address did not cause any trouble. It is an automated process and only those who know Your Highness' full title would see it apart from me and the Deputy Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall._

 _Enclosed you will find the very impersonal, bureaucratic and automated list of all necessary books and equipment. I wish to inform Your Highness that though it is "signed" by a Ministry official it was not seen by an actual official, nor will they be any the wiser to who you truly are. I do hope this does not offend you, Your Highness._

 _Term starts on the First of September. I await Your Highness' response by no later than by July thirty first._

 _The acceptance letter is usually a lot more generalized and succinct. I felt given Your Highness' prestige and position it was deemed necessary to personalize Your Highness' letter._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Albus Dumbledore_

 _Headmaster of Hogwarts_

The letter was signed in large looping handwriting. Elsa actually found the letter oddly enjoyable to read. She may not have liked the excessive use of her title, but given she did not know the headmaster it was expected. She supposed it also made sense the deputy headmistress would know her title as well. This way if needed they could interact properly if the Headmaster was otherwise unavailable.

Elsa went to the second page and read through a list of books that sounded very interesting to her despite being textbooks. There was a list of other supplies as well and Elsa was really excited to get a wand. Despite her misgivings about going away to a school for most of the year, she was actually getting excited and eager. She would have Vitus help her with replying to the letter when she next saw him. Until then, she would store it somewhere Anna wouldn't find it and go enjoy her birthday with her family.

{-} {-} {-}

Christmas came and went. It was as wonderful as Anna and Elsa always remembered it being. Their parents had enjoyed the card and the private show the girls did for them as a present. Elsa and Anna spent plenty of time together either outside in the snow or sitting inside by a fire enjoying hot chocolate.

Elsa even managed to find time for practicing more with her magic. Vitus was having her focus on improving her golem construction currently. She was also learning a workout routine from him as well. He was keeping it rather simple since she was still young.

The other lessons Elsa was taking were seemingly going at an even faster pace than before. She supposed it was to make up for the lost time she would have once she left to go to Hogwarts. The school was about teaching kids spells, potions and such. It didn't have classes about math, science, literature and language. She guessed that meant most kids in the wizarding world were taught at home like she was when it came to that stuff.

The future ruler of Arendelle did her best in all of her classes, but she found herself enjoying her favorite classes even more. She had to add lessons with Vitus to that category, because she was loving learning more about using her magic and it did feel good to use her powers without worry. She really enjoyed her time with the rock trolls as well.

Those lessons were interesting and different, but she also enjoyed spending time with them in general along with Kristoff, who decided he was her unofficial big brother. She always pointed out he was barely older than her, but he still said that made her the 'younger' sister and so Anna was the youngest sister. She would also point out whenever she could that she acted more grown-up than him too. "That just means you're a younger sister trying to act older," he would say in response.

Elsa was just finishing up one of her meditation exercises with the trolls when Kristoff came near shivering. "Man, I wish I was like you. It doesn't seem like you're ever really bothered by the cold," he said with another shiver as he got closer. The cold didn't seem as bad close to the princess for some reason.

"One of the advantages I've noticed that came with my powers is that weather in general doesn't bother me too much. Anna's the same way most of the time, but that might be due to us usually being close together when we're outside," Elsa said as she shifted out of her position and relaxed. She looked up to the sky and sighed, "Though, I will admit I really prefer the feel of the sun's heat."

"I can agree with that. Sven has it really easy in the winter. He loves it," Kristoff said as they watched Sven playing around in the snow. "Spring and summer are tougher on him to a degree, especially before he gets his summer coat."

Elsa gave a smile and formed a large snow bank near the reindeer. Sven eagerly dived into it. She and Kristoff laughed. "I swear, Kristoff. Sven acts more like a really large and friendly dog than your average reindeer," Elsa said.

Kristoff shrugged. "He's always been different. He did get more this way once we started staying here. Maybe he just feels that relaxed and doesn't really have other reindeer to follow, perhaps it is because of how the trolls are general too. One of them said he was like a familiar more than a reindeer. No idea what they mean by that. Must be some kind of Guardian Keeper thing I haven't fully learned about yet."

Elsa had learned quickly since starting these lessons not to ask him what it was like being a Guardian Keeper. He would always reply, "What's it like being a Crown Princess with ice powers?"

She would then reply, "It's kind of hard to explain and would take too long."

He would then respond back with a nod and say, "Exactly."

{-} {-} {-}

Spring. Anna loved spring. She always had. The flowers were in bloom. The grass turned green. The animals hibernating for the winter would come out and she could enjoy the sun again. It unfortunately made learning in her classes a lot harder. She paid attention, but she just wanted to go outside and run around in the gardens or anything else apart from being inside going over notes and finishing class assignments.

Anna gave a mighty stretch as she looked outside again. She had just finished her lessons and soon Elsa would as well. That was when Anna's eye widened. " _This is our last full spring together!_ " she thought to herself. She had decided they would be doing a lot of fun stuff this spring as a result.

She was looking outside in thought. " _Tea parties outside. Games outside. Playing outside. Maybe we can even spend the night in one of the gardens outside. We have that tent,_ " Anna thought.

"Anna? Are you there?" Elsa asked as she waved a hand in front of her sister's face.

Anna shook her head and blinked. She looked to her side and then smiled. "Oh, good you're finished for the day, Elsa. I was just thinking of all the things we have to do this spring together."

Elsa gave a laugh. "No doubt there are a good number of them." Anna nodded as she kept smiling. "So, what shall we do today?"

"We'll keep it simple today and just spend the rest of the afternoon in gardens including tea," Anna said as she led the way to finding a maid.

It wasn't long before the two sisters were sitting together at a table underneath a shade tree sipping tea. They were actually quiet at first listening to the birds and bees humming and buzzing about their business. Anna was the first to break the silence. "This is our last full spring together for a while. I was thinking we should try spending a night outside sometime along with trying to do as much outside as we can."

Elsa had to blink a little bit as she realized this as well. Sure, she would have spring break, but she would also spend most of her spring at Hogwarts for the next seven years. "Maybe we can have some of our lessons out here together. Like art lessons and maybe music. I think that could work."

"I'd really like that, but music might be a problem. We might interfere with each other's practice and I still need to learn a lot on my own," Anna said with a sigh.

"Still we could have some of them together. Practice playing music together a little more," Elsa said earning a nod from her younger sister. Elsa was a little surprised how serious Anna took the suggestion. She did of course mean it, but she didn't think Anna would put so much thought into it.

The sisters did end up having a few art lessons outside over the spring. They even ended up sketching each other out in the gardens together. Their shared music lessons were a bit of a disaster at first until their music instructor decided to pick out a couple of music pieces for them to practice together instead of leaving it up to them.

However, the thing they looked most forward to was their camping trip. Sure, they weren't going to be camping deep in the woods or anything like that, but camping deep in the gardens was fairly close and safer for two princesses. They wouldn't have to worry about a protection detail of some kind. They worked out all kinds of plans for their camping night.

The two of them did have to get help with setting up their tent, but their parents helped with that along with some other things as well. The King and Queen weren't going to be camping, but they were going to spend some time with their daughters outside in the garden. Elsa and Anna loved that. Their dad even cooked a meal for them, because when camping you can't have a full-on feast prepared by the kitchen staff. The Royal Couple also thought it would be nice to give the staff the day off after lunch until dinner the next night.

Having their parents there also let them use a fire pit for making S'mores, which the girls loved. "Well then," the Queen started once the fire was good and out. "I guess it's time we leave you two explorers alone for the night. If you do really end up needing anything you know where to find us."

Anna rolled her eyes. "Yes, mom. But we're camping. We can't just run back to the palace."

Elsa nodded but added, "If there is an emergency we'll find help quickly." Their parents left with their minds a little more at ease. Elsa and Anna then sat at a table nearby with a lantern and actually played a few card games while enjoying being out in the garden at night.

Elsa was the first one to give a yawn and stretch. It was getting late. "Maybe we should go to bed?" she asked and looked to the tent. Anna agreed so the two of them got ready for bed and retreated to their tent before zipping it up.

Shortly after they were in the tent Anna spoke up. "Hey, Elsa. Do you know what the best part about camping is?"

Elsa's mouth watered a little as she said, "Making S'mores and eating them."

Anna's mouth watered a little as well. The chocolate and mushy marshmallow went so well together on the gram crackers. Anna shook her head and grabbed a flashlight before holding it under her face. She then said, "Well okay maybe, but we already did that. No, Elsa. I'm talking about ghost stories!" she then turned on the light before blinking at how bright it was and dropping it.

Elsa hid a giggle as she said, "Perhaps we better use a lantern instead." She then turned on a lantern and put it on the lowest setting. This made it so they didn't need flashlights, but it was dark enough to keep the atmosphere. It also didn't blind you.

"I'll tell one story then you tell a story, Elsa," Anna said. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly as she gave Elsa a serious look. "I've over heard the kitchen staff sharing a tale not too long ago. It was about two sisters. Not very different from ourselves. These sisters lived in a large home just like…" Elsa raised an eyebrow knowing what Anna was about to say.

Anna blushed a little and continued, "Okay not just like ours, but it was still a very large manor with expansive grounds. The family loved their privacy, so they made sure to build their home about 15 minutes out of town. However, the first members of the family to build the house didn't know it was on top of scared ground. Strange things would happen in the home and on its grounds, but it was never anything too out of the ordinary. Or at least they always pretended nothing too abnormal happened in their home."

"One day the parents received a strange call on the phone. The caller warned them that if they didn't perform a certain ritual then something terrible would end up happening to their family. The parents ignored the warning and wrote it off as a scammer trying to con them out of money. Another day they received a letter in the mail trying to warn them yet again of the horrors they would possibly face if the ritual wasn't completed."

Elsa was actually a mix of curiosity and being scared. She knew magic existed and she knew some of the things it could do from her lessons with Vitus. She was starting to wonder if maybe this story might be true. There were a couple mysterious manors in the area.

Anna seemed to sense Elsa was getting into the story and so she kept going. "They received more and similar warnings, but they could never trace the source of these warnings. One day the warnings stopped all together. The parents were cautious at first, but they eventually took the sudden stop as a sign that the con-artist sending them had given up and decided to bother someone else instead."

"Shortly after the warnings stopped. The sisters decided to spend the night in a small grove of trees on their family's lands. Kind of like we are here in our family's gardens. These sisters didn't know about the warnings their family was receiving, and so they didn't have a single care in the world as they camped one night alone in the forested area. They had even promised to go to their parents if there was any trouble."

Anna leaned in closer and lowered her voice. "That night after they had S'mores and told scary stories to each other they fell asleep peacefully. The next morning the parents waited for their daughters to return to the house. They kept waiting thinking their girls had decided to stay in the woods a little longer. Finally, when evening came. They gathered their staff and searched the woods for their daughters. They knew where the girls were staying the night."

"When they got to the tent…. It was empty!" Anna shouted causing Elsa to jump back in response. Anna giggled while Elsa frowned and continued.

"The parents panicked and had their staff search the grounds. They knew the girls couldn't have left without being noticed. They knew they had to be on family grounds. They searched throughout the night and into the next day. They couldn't find any hint of the girls. The parents returned to their home and sent out for people to search for their missing daughters in the surrounding area."

"As time went on and days became years, the staff and everyone else started to whisper about the parents.

'You know I never really recall seeing them with daughters before.'

'You too? I thought it was just me.'

'I know a friend who works as a part of the staff. He said there never were a pair of girls living in the large manor with the lord and lady. He said they just indulged them because they were being paid by the mister and the missus.'

The rumors and words continued to spread. The parents were seen as just a pair of mad rich old people with too much time on their hands. The father would show the pictures they had taken of the girls, but the people would either just play along or give them looks of pity."

"After this went on for years a mysterious letter arrived again. It was on their bed and glowed so they wouldn't miss it. The father opened the later and read it. It was written in a creepy hand with red ink.

'We warned you time and time again. But you just ignored us. We did all we could to keep this from happening. But you thought us con men. We have taken from you your future. We have even erased them from existence.

We. Spirits. Won't. Be. Denied!' it read."

"He dropped the letter and as his wife gasped they heard a harsh laugh followed by the sound of their daughters' giggles. The husband and wife spent the rest of their lives in sorrow before they passed on. Everyone around them would just shake their heads in sadness whenever they heard or saw the couple. Every now and then the couple would claim to have heard the sounds of childish laughter or their daughters' voices in the halls or on the grounds."

Anna and Elsa were in silence. Elsa actually sniffed a little. It was a little bit of a scary story, but more than that it was a said story. Anna frowned in worry, "It's just a story…"

Elsa pulled out a handkerchief and blew her nose. "I know, but it was so sad… I really feel sorry for the parents especially." Elsa sniffed again. Anna moved closer and gave her sister a hug.

After a few minutes passed Anna asked, "Do you want to tell a story?"

Elsa gave a slow nod as she took in a deep breath. "I call this story: The Girl Who Danced with the Dead."

{-} {-} {-}

There once was a girl who loved dancing more than anything else. She was really good at it too. Her parents were more than happy to give her dancing lessons which she really wanted more than anything else in the world. The girl was really well known by the locals for her dancing. Her name was Elaine.

She could dance to almost any kind of music. She loved a lot of music as well, but not as much as dancing. As she grew up, more people came to know her and she even performed in different theaters. "Elaine the Dancing Wonder" was a nickname she quickly earned. She never really hated her fame, nor did she love it either. The only thing she cared about was dancing more and more.

She did get some resentment from others who were jealous of her. However, she didn't care about such things. She just wanted to dance. She had only one desire deep in her heart and that was to enjoy the most wondrous and beautiful of dances. When she turned seventeen, there was a rival who threatened her. "If you don't drop out of the scene! Then I will end you. I will break your legs," the rival, Lisa, had said.

Elaine didn't care, but she did end up dropping out of the scene because she had grown tired of it. She didn't like the structure and repetitiveness of dancing for others. She had to always dance the same way with very few changes. She wanted to dance more and didn't want to be confined by others while doing so.

The rival had thought she won, but Lisa was full of herself and thought she was much more talented than she actually was. Eventually, the show she had taken over from Elaine came to an end because of how much it lacked once the main star was gone and had retired.

Elaine however was happier now. She would still sometimes dance for others, but she was no longer forced to follow a script or dance to someone else's music all of the time. Her popularity ended up bringing others to her home town where she danced. People came from all around to enjoy her shows.

One night the old rival came to watch Elaine preform. Lisa was defeated by now and no longer wished ill of Elaine, but still she was jealous of the girl's abilities and how much she enjoyed dancing. That night once the show was over she went and spoke with Elaine and apologized for what she had done that one day.

Elaine shook her head and said, "No worries. I was getting tired of the scene anyways. I've never wanted fame. I've just wanted to dance from the start." Elaine gave a chuckle as she added, "I'd love to dance for all eternity if I could."

Lisa gave a forced smile. Her hatred and jealousy took over again. Elaine was just brushing off Lisa's dreams of preforming live for all to see as something boring and unimportant. Lisa decided she wanted to get the best revenge she could. So, she pretended to be Elaine's rival turned friend.

The two would hang out together and while it was pleasant, and Lisa started to not hate Elaine as much. Lisa couldn't truly get over how uncaring Elaine was of others' dreams or the hard work people put into those dreams. She eventually came up with a terrible plan to get rid of Elaine once and for all. She wanted Elaine to disappear. She had made arrangements for a horrible person to kidnap Elaine and make her a dancing girl in some shady place where she would never escape.

One afternoon Lisa and Elaine were having tea together. Lisa gave a chuckle. Elaine looked to her in question. Lisa gave a fake smile as she said, "Sorry, I was just thinking of a local legend I heard not too long ago. It in a way reminded me of when we first became friends. When you said you'd love to dance for all eternity if you could."

Elaine looked to her, the curiosity in her eyes shining bright. "What is it?" she asked.

Lisa pretended to be a little shocked by her interest in a local legend. "I guess I'll tell you, but it is just a legend and it could be dangerous. The legend says the old mansion on the hill once belonged to a Baron who was incredibly wealthy and loved dancing. He would host the grandest of balls for only the best dancers to attend. The orchestras that preformed there were legends of their time. One night he held a party and a really bad storm came to the area the likes of which has never since been seen again. The guests were scared, but couldn't go home. The Baron told them, 'Worry not, my friends! Let us dance the night away, as the music keeps playing!' They did just that."

Lisa could tell Elaine was enchanted by the story. "However, the storm was fierce and the winds harsh. The windows suddenly shattered and lightning struck and started a fire. The winds caused the fire to spread quickly and soon the guests and the baron all died burning to death. The legend says if you go to the house on a night of the half-moon with three candles and chalk you can enjoy the dance as well."

"How could you enjoy the dance as well?" Elaine asked.

"According to what I heard if you draw a circle on the floor and draw a line dividing it into thirds while placing the candles where the lines meet the circle. It summons them somehow. Of course, it is all just a legend," Lisa said.

Elaine frowned to that. Lisa gave a fake friendly smile as she added, "Of course, you know what they say about legends and myths. There is some truth to them. So, who knows. Maybe it would actually work."

Elaine giggled as she said, "If it did, wouldn't that be something? It would be a dance unlike any other."

Lisa laughed as well and said, "It would be out of this world."

Elaine gave a laugh and patted Lisa on the arm. "That was a terrible joke, Lisa. But it was funny."

Once they finished their tea and parted company, Elaine stopped at a store and bought chalk and three candles. She doubted it would actually work, but there was a half-moon tonight and she loved dancing so maybe it would work for her. She wanted to see this dance of the dead if it really did exist. "Perhaps it will be the dance I have always wanted to enjoy," Elaine said to herself.

The night was windy and the clouds few. Elaine sneaked her way to the old house on the hill. She crossed the barrier that read "Condemned. Do not enter." Elaine didn't care for such things. She was a dancer and so had great confidence in her balance and she wasn't very heavy either. She was sure she would be alright.

Elaine thought the old house looked to be in much better condition than it should. This gave her hope that maybe the chances of the ritual working were very good. She looked through the house and eventually found what she knew was the main ballroom.

The girl who loved dancing quickly drew a circle on the floor and lines that divided it into thirds. She placed the candles where the lines met the circle and lit them. She then looked around and walked into the center of the circle where the lines intersected each other. She raised her hands to the sky and shouted, "Let us Dance the night away, as the music keeps playing!"

She held that pose for a minute and started to hear what sounded like hauntingly beautiful music playing in the distance. She could barely make it out, but she could dance to it. She started dancing to the music inside the circle. She used all three parts of it for different steps to the dance and repeated them over and over.

As she kept dancing the music grew louder and she heard laughter and footsteps as glasses clinked together. Elaine didn't let the sounds distract her. She felt this was a test. The baron after all only invited those who were the best of dancers to join him. Elaine closed her eyes and started to hum a little to the music as she continued her dance and added in a few twirls every time she shifted to a different phase of the dance she was creating.

She didn't see them with her eyes closed, but she could feel the presence of other dancers on the dance floor where she had drawn her circle. She gave a twirl at the end of the dance steps and was about to start again when she felt a pair of hands grab hold of her own. Elaine gave a silent gasp as she opened her eyes to see.

In front of her was a ghost of a well-dressed man with a lovely smile. "You dance well, my lady," the ghost said with a slight bow. Elaine gave a curtsy and smiled as the music changed to a different tune and her dance partner smiled again and asked, "Would you care to join us?"

"I'd be honored to, my lord," she replied with a smile of her own. She started to dance with the ghost as they danced in sync with the others around them. However, unlike the shows she had performed this was more natural feeling and more because the other dancers were so highly skilled.

Elaine continued to dance with her partner before they all changed partners again in sync. She was easily caught by her next dance partner who smiled at her and tipped his hat. "Let us continue, shall we? You don't prefer just one dance partner, do you?"

Elaine shook her head. "I just love dancing more than anything else. As long as my dance partners love it the same, I am more than happy."

Her new partner gave an enchanting chuckle as the music changed to a different tune. It really was just as wonderful and amazing as the legend said it was. Elaine continued to dance the night away in happiness.

Now one thing you should know is this. The dead really can't bring harm to the living easily. They also can't take a living soul right away either. However, they hunger for the sweet taste of life and a living soul is the best source of nourishment they can have.

The moment Elaine started to dance with her first ghostly partner, she had sealed her fate. As she kept blissfully dancing to the music, she never noticed that her life force was being drained away from her. If she wasn't so enthralled by the dancing and music she so loved, maybe there would have still been hope for her. However, the only thing Elaine ever cared for or loved was dancing and nothing else. She wasn't mean to others, but she wasn't really attached to others either.

Perhaps this is why when the ghostly figures changed to less pleasant looking versions of their selves she didn't care. When one figure seemed to have ghostly fangs and sunk them deep into her shoulder, her human body withered away and she merely smiled and asked, "Shall we dance again?"

As for Lisa's fate, well she wasn't going to just sit back and hope her plan worked. She went to meet with the shady people she had set the deal up with in the first place. However, she didn't realize they had changed their plans. They learned who it was Lisa wanted them to take, and they feared it would bring them too much attention. Lisa on the other hand was beautiful and could dance even if not as well as Elaine. That didn't matter to their client though. The client just wanted a beautiful dancer and that was it. This being the case they chose Lisa over Elaine and once they captured her they left without anyone noticing.

Lisa's capture might have gained some notice, but the town was more concerned with the disappearance of Elaine. People searched all over for her and never found any hints of where she went. They got more desperate and even looked into local legends thinking that maybe that would give them a place to start.

In the end, they did find a hint of what became of Elaine. A group of people searched into the legend of the house on the hill. When they got the proper permissions, they entered the condemned site. When they looked through the house, they came across the main ballroom. In there, they saw writing on the walls.

"Here lies the Girl who danced with the dead. She never stopped enjoying the dance even as she ended up joining us. Be thankful to her, for the legend is true, but we hunger no more. We only wish to dance for all eternity."

You see. When Elaine's life force was absorbed, so was her love for dancing above all else. The ghostly dancers enjoyed dancing as well, but not the extent she did. They hungered, like all ghosts do, but now they no longer did. They could never be summoned again or feed, but all they wanted was to dance.

It's said in the town where Elaine grew up and lived, that if you go to the house on the hill during half-moon's night and you listen. You will hear music so beautiful that nothing on Earth can reproduce or match it and you will hear laughter and sounds of dancers on the floor. It's become a new legend that if you dance the night away under the half-moon, once dawn comes you can hear a lovely voice ask, "Shall dance again?"

{-} {-} {-}

"How was that story?" Elsa asked after a moment's pause.

Anna gave her a slight frown. "That wasn't scary at all."

Elsa gave her own slight frown and folded her arms. "You just said we had to tell ghost stories. You didn't say anything about them being scary."

Anna sighed, "I suppose you're right, Elsa." Elsa beamed at that. Anna smiled as she then said, "While it wasn't scary. Your story was beautiful, Elsa. I really liked it."

"Glad to hear it. Now I think we really should go to bed," Elsa said as she gave Anna a goodnight hug. Anna returned the hug and the two sisters went to bed.

{-} {-} {-}

As summer approached, Elsa became more excited and worried. She would be attending Hogwarts in just a few months. She was surprised when she spoke to Vitus about replying to the letter. It turns out the address did get ridiculously specific at times. She was also surprised to find out that wizards usually sent mail via owl post. They had special owls that delivered letters for everyone.

The princess had already decided what she would get as her pet, since she was allowed a cat, toad, or owl. She might even get one for Anna as well. Muggles could use owl post too, but they just wouldn't know about it if they weren't related to a magic user in some way. There was also a part of Elsa that hoped maybe the gift would help Anna forgive her for going to this boarding school.

Elsa was a little curious about when she would be getting her supplies for school. "Could you take me?" she asked Vitus.

He shook his head. "I'm pretty sure Rose Diamond wouldn't forgive me for stealing her duty of introducing Arendelle witches and wizards to the magical world in Britain."

"Oh. Okay. Do you know when she will take me?" Elsa asked.

"It depends. There is a possibility that there is another witch or wizard going to Hogwarts this year from Arendelle, even if unlikely. Why don't you just ask her next time you meet with the trolls. You know just after you finish pestering Grand Pabbie about teaching you rock troll magic and he again turns you down," Vitus answered with the slightest hint of a smile as Elsa scowled at him.

"Regardless, time for you to get back to your training exercises. When you are at Hogwarts you should use some of your free time to continue your physical exercises. Maybe do some training with your ice powers if you can do so without being noticed by anyone else," Vitus said as Elsa got up and started running laps around the clearing where they were having their lesson this time.

She had gotten a lot better at her combat training with Vitus including her agility and reaction speed. She was also working on her flexibility as well. Vitus' basic sage wisdom about attacking spells was simple, "If it doesn't hit you then you won't be effected by it. Most wizards and witches rarely work on physical training and just let their magic do everything for them. They don't realize how much they could benefit from it. Only the Aurors and sometimes the dark wizards and witches they hunt, think to dodge spells and such."

He cut off her argument that he was sure she was forming about not wanting to get more powerful magic wise. "Also, flexibility can improve your reaction time and even in some cases make aiming a spell or ice power easier," he said to her. That got Elsa to listen and cooperate.

{-} {-} {-}

"So, when are you going to take me shopping for my supplies, Rose Diamond?" Elsa asked as they made their way to the rock trolls' home for her lessons. "Are there any other magic users from here going this year?"

"Nope it will just be you, your Highness. It is getting close so we can go towards the start of summer. The stores will have the supplies you need by then in stock and we won't have to worry about the crowds of other students," Rose said.

"Why can't we go when everyone else goes?" Elsa asked.

"There will be a lot of people going this year like there always is and it will be very crowded. I don't think it would be a good idea to throw you right into such a setting. You aren't used to being around crowds of people. I'd rather not overwhelm you too much, Princess Elsa," she answered.

Rose gave a smile. "Besides, I'm sure your parents would like to see you off if they could on your first trip to Diagon Alley. I bet they even wish they could go with you, but they'd probably be recognized. I believe you know now that your family has quite a few dealings business wise with witches and wizards and plenty of them from England. There's also the fact non-magicals as a whole might recognize your parents as well."

Elsa nodded. She knew a few names. One of the most prominent was the Malfoy family. She had heard a little about them from Vitus before and Rose. She even asked her parents why they dealt with such a family surrounded by such controversy and rumors. "It is a simple answer, Elsa. Most of it is little more than hearsay. There is also the fact that despite such controversy, they are still viewed as an important and respected family at large, especially when it comes to business," her father explained to her.

"But isn't that even worse? Who knows what they might do?" Elsa asked.

Her mother gave her a knowing smile. "We've dealt with the Malfoy family for quite a while, honey. We know one thing for sure about them. The Malfoy family always acts in their best interests. They are respectful in business dealings for the most part and they usually have a good nose for lucrative opportunities. Lord Lucius Malfoy especially does."

Elsa sighed, "I'm not sure I like it."

Her father gave her a smile. "Our dealings with them are always setup in a way that we can easily end them and find an alternative if we want. They agreed to such things because they know they can't really pressure us and the last thing a Malfoy wants is to be indebted to someone. Much better to be equally beneficial in a setting where contracts can be ended easily than under our control. They also know that we know them fairly well business wise and are okay with that."

"If they could use their magic to coerce us. I'm sure they'd prefer that, but they learned long ago that such things won't work on Arendelle people. They've also learned to be more careful given how badly, mixing in such a way with non-magical nobility got them in serious trouble long ago," her mother added.

"Knowing the Malfoy family will act in their best interest above most else, means they are easier to deal with and understand. Much better than some of the duplicitous nobility we've dealt with in the past," her father concluded the discussion with that.

There were others in the magic world they dealt with, but Elsa didn't know everyone yet. She would in time because that was part of her Queen training. Elsa would be continuing her lessons until shortly before she left for Hogwarts and then she would continue them again when she returned for Christmas break. Spring Break and Easter, she wouldn't really have them, because there wasn't much she would learn in one week that would stick. She would also be having them again every summer break.

Despite how much studying, of what felt like pretty much everything, the future held for her, Elsa was partly hoping for the days to go by faster. She couldn't wait to go to this Diagon Alley and after that Hogwarts. She was still troubled by how she would be able to handle being around others and being away from her family, but she was instead more excited for everything that awaited her.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Into an Alley Most Magical

Elsa gulped as she stood in front of the gathered trolls. She was with her mother today. Her father was too busy with royal duties to be with her for this occasion despite how he wished he was there. He wanted to watch as his oldest daughter took her first steps into a new and wide world, but there was a lot going on in Arendelle and he decided to handle it all for a while. He felt it was more important for his wife to be there to see Elsa off for the day.

"Are… Are you sure you can't come, mom?" Elsa asked as she gripped her mother's fine dress tighter in her hand.

Her mother gave her daughter an apologetic look. "I wish I could Elsa, my dear. But there isn't anything we can do about it. Your father and I have done wonders to keep you and your sister out of the news the best we can. While we are a small but fairly powerful country, we have been blessed to have been left mostly in peace. Still despite everything, your father and I are too recognizable to risk being caught in public outside our own country randomly."

Elsa frowned to this as she buried her face in her mother's dress taking in the scent of her mom. It was childish of her she knew and a future queen couldn't afford to act in such a way. Normally she probably wouldn't have dared such an action, but she had become surprisingly close to her parents after the incident all of those years ago. They were part of the few she had plenty of contact with who knew her secret. While she was excited for going to Hogwarts, she knew what it meant and this shopping trip proved how soon things would greatly change for her.

"Besides. It isn't as if you'll be alone." Her mother said with a smile. She then motioned towards Rose Diamond. Rose Diamond gave the princess a friendly smile. Elsa did like Rose Diamond a lot, but Rose wasn't her mom.

Elsa gave a sigh and quickly asked one of her favorite questions. "I still don't see why you all can't just teach me magic here," she said with a smile to the gathered trolls. They were making a fire for her to floo with to her destination with Rose Diamond.

Grand Pabbie shook his head and smiled as he said, "For the last time, Elsa. We can't teach you our kind of magic really. It is something very advanced, even as magic is concerned." Elsa gave a playful frown to this as always. It wasn't really much of a game, but it was still a game she liked to play.

"When it comes to floo travel," Rose started to explain as the fire the trolls were making grew larger. "It is important to always speak your destination clearly, Elsa. This time we will go together, and say Leaky Cauldron at the same time. Understood? Also be careful of the ash." Usually if you went with others to the same place, if the fire was big enough, only one person had to say the destination.

Elsa nodded. "Toss the powder and say Leaky Cauldron clearly be careful of ash. I got it." She then took a nervous breath. She didn't like the idea of stepping into a fire. She'd never tested her powers in that way. Elsa turned around and gave her mother another hug. "Bye, mom. See you later today."

"I hope it goes well. I also want you to have fun, Elsa," her mother said returning her daughter's hug. Rose waited a little bit before then tugging Elsa's shoulder.

Elsa broke the hug and smiled as she tossed the powder into the fire and walked in with Rose. The two stood next to one another and spoke at the same time, "Diagon Alley!"

Soon the world began to twist into a green fiery spiral tunnel, but the flames didn't hurt. Elsa watched as they zoomed past many fireplaces that looked like windows that showed nothing. Elsa felt as if she was being pulled tightly as she flew through the tunnel. Shortly after their trip started it ended with a fire place that looked like it opened into a pub in front of them and they were sucked into it.

As Elsa and Rose Diamond stepped out of the Fire place in a dingy place called the Leaky Cauldron, the platinum blonde only managed to stay standing because of her training and natural grace and elegance. She might have been put off by the place's state, but she was too busy still reeling from the trip. She supposed she needed to get used to this method of traveling since it was apparently common in the magical world.

Once she brushed the soot off of her skirt, and hoped her gloves weren't ruined, she was a little taken by the atmosphere of this Leaky Cauldron place. It looked like some old rustic tavern except dirty and dark enough to take away from its charm. It did at least have some light coming in from the large front window, but apart from that it was mostly old dusty lanterns.

Elsa's eyes widened as she noticed many of the lanterns were floating on nothings. It was the first time she had seen magic apart from her own and some of the things that she saw the rock trolls do and Vitus showed her. She couldn't help but wonder why it was they didn't simply use magic to make the lanterns give off more light or somehow disperse it more. She guessed dark, dirty and shabby was simply the décor for this place.

"So what do you think, Miss Evergreen?" Rose in her disguise asked the princess.

It took Elsa a moment to realize she was being spoken too, since she was taking in the sights regardless of the place's state. "I suppose it has a charm of its own. Not really my kind of place, but it is oddly enough interesting," she said in a hopefully polite manner. She didn't want to accidentally offend someone nearby, especially if they were the proud owner of this establishment.

Rose gave a loud laugh as she said, "Charm of its own is putting it mildly."

"Come on now. It's famous. I won't hear no complaining from you, ma'am," said a voice from a bald man behind the bar. If it wasn't for his grin and the joking air of his voice, you would think he was offended.

"Famous for being dark and shabby maybe. But at least the rooms are nice and the food decent," replied Rose.

Tom's grin widened, but jokingly shrunk shortly after that as someone from nearby teasingly added, "Even if the menu's mostly the same soup named differently."

There was a chorus of laughter to that including Tom's as he added, "Supply and demand my friends. For whatever reason, you all demand the same soup. It gets boring saying and hearing the same order over and over again."

"Aye we do always want the soup! It goes good with the rolls and drinks. The only things worth a damn in this place. But it sure is quite a damn, their worth," said a large man sitting next to a round woman who joined in the new round of laughter.

"And that's why this fine establishment is famous. Now if only I could get rid of that ruddy magic hole in the back wall. No idea why people like seeing it so much. A hole is still a hole," Tom said as there was more laughter including Rose's and Elsa's, even if the young princess didn't fully understand what was so funny at the moment, but she was caught up in the atmosphere.

"So what can I get ya, Rose?" Tom asked as the laughter died down and the other customers went about their business.

"I'm afraid nothing this time. I might grab something on the way back, but no promises," Rose said as she motioned to Elsa.

Tom looked to Elsa and gave a friendly grin and said, "Ahh so a young one here for Diagon Alley. Welcome to the Leaky Cauldron, young miss."

Elsa gave a curtsy and replied, "Thanks, Mr. Tom."

Somehow Tom's grin widened as he sad, "Polite too. Don't find that much in the youth these days." He then looked up to Rose and said, "Well go on through the back wall. Hope our joking hasn't ruined her first trip to Diagon Alley."

Then Elsa despite her training gave a giggle as she understood his earlier joke about the hole in the back wall. She did at least manage to hide it with her gloved hand. Tom just grinned and seemed to take her giggle for general giddiness or excitement for the trip.

As they made it to the back wall, Rose pulled out her 'wand' which was really just a polished piece of wood and nothing more. Rock trolls didn't need a focus for their magic. Elsa bet she probably wouldn't either if she practiced hard enough. She was already a natural and genius with her ice powers. She had been since she was really young. This other magic couldn't possibly be too different.

Rose Diamond gave a smile as she tapped a brick on the wall. The bricks started to move in sync and form a walkway. Beyond that walkway was… "Wow! This is Diagon Alley?!" Elsa exclaimed as Rose gave a laugh.

"Yes it is, Elsa." Rose then gave a wide smile as she watched Elsa look every way she could. Sure it wasn't an upscale shopping center or anything like that, but the place looked amazing. The young crown princess could easily tell it was magical, even if she had no idea magic existed and ended up here she would still know it was.

Rose kept an eye on her young charge as the girl looked and took in as much as she could of the place. The whole place had an old but odd style of architecture. Most of the building looked as if they had been there for ages and were very much on the crooked side. She knew they were being held up by magic. It was almost as if a store just expanded whenever it needed to and the building jumped out of the way for a new one to squeeze in when someone opened another shop.

Elsa was loving this place already. She only wished she could form one of her golems and see through their eyes in addition to her own somehow. She saw shops for robes, shops for magic brooms " _I hope I get to learn how to fly one!_ " Elsa eagerly said inside her head. She was a bit disappointed first years weren't allowed a broom. The crown princess stopped as she looked and saw a magic book store. "Can we go there last? I don't want anything rushing me through there." She pointed to the book store as she said this.

Rose gave a laugh and said, "You do realize we have to return home eventually, right?"

The only reason Elsa didn't reply, "Home? What home? I was born in the bookstore. I won't ever leave it." Was the fact going back to Arendelle meant she would have some more time with Anna.

"So where should we go first?" Elsa asked.

"We need to get over to Gringotts first. That's the wizarding world's bank," Rose said.

"What do we do about that? Do they know who I am?" Elsa asked.

"They will once you take an accounts test. The test will verify you are from the Royal Arendelle Family. No need to worry about if they can keep a secret or not. They pride their selves on discretion. Of course, there is no need to let them know about your powers. Some of them might know about the Royal family's extra powers, because they live long lives, but don't draw attention to yourself regarding it," Rose answered quietly as they made their way to a white marble building in the alleyway guarded by a small creature.

The creature had a hooked and pointed nose with large ears and it looked ancient with white wisps of hair on his head. He also had long fingers and feet. Elsa did her best not to stare too much at the being. He either didn't notice or he was used to be gawked at by children, because he didn't bother to react to her behavior.

"Goblins run the bank of Gringotts. They are extremely good at their jobs. Plus, they are rather greedy so they welcome a chance to make more money. At the same time, they have an interesting sense of honor so they don't betray their clients unless they fully deem it necessary. It takes a lot for them to deem betraying their clients necessary though, such as a threat to the very world itself and the Goblin Nation. If some of the darkest wizards and witches in the past were never considered such a threat, then I would hate to meet someone who was," Rose said to Elsa. She might have warned the princess to treat them with respect, but that was something the royal family rarely, if ever, needed to be told.

They entered the building and Elsa quickly looked up to the ceiling. The bank was impressive. Had she not lived in a rather impressive palace her whole life, Elsa might have been more impressed. Still, she did have to say the place had a certain feel to it. She also kind of liked the way it was decorated.

The floors were made of black and white marble. There were pillars all along the walls and many ancient but well cared for wooden desks each with a goblin working at it lined the lobby. The place was lit by cobweb covered lamps apart from the large and opulent chandlers on the ceiling. Elsa was sure the chandlers were made of real diamonds too unless the wizarding world didn't consider the stones precious. She was pretty sure they did though, most people did.

While they waited in line for a teller, Elsa had plenty of time to look around more. She looked at the odd assortment of people at each of the windows. She supposed it would make sense for wizards and witches to have their own sense of fashion, but " _God… they would stick out like a sore thumb with a bright pink Band-Aid in the rest of the world._ "

Honestly in her opinion the goblins were dressed more appropriately. She was going to have to get used to this new world, especially if she was going to blend in with it for the next several years at least. She really hoped she could do something different about fashion at least. Maybe she could get away with wearing regular dresses with a travelling cloak instead of robes. She was surprised people weren't tripping over them when they walked around normally. The pointed hats were something she wasn't too thrilled about either.

She was rather appalled at the behavior of many of these witches and wizards. They were in a public place dealing with different beings that practically ran the wizarding world's economy. Even if you didn't like them, you should still have a certain degree of etiquette when dealing with them. The worst part was she could swear a couple of wizards were having a contest with each other to see who could be the most ungrateful and dissatisfied customer.

Elsa shook her head at the 'adults' as she and Rose finally went up to a desk. Both her and Rose greeted the goblin politely, with Elsa adding a slight curtsy, when it was finally their turn. The goblin blinked at them a couple of times before asking in a raspy voice, "How can Gringotts help you today?"

Rose spoke first, since she was the 'guide' for Elsa. "We're here to take an accounts test and then some further business after that."

The goblin looked the two over curiously as he filled out a sheet of parchment and signaled for a different goblin to come over. "There is a 15 galleon fee once the process has been completed. If you receive a positive, then the money can be taken from your account directly. If not, then you must pay the fee out of pocket. Do you understand?"

"Yes Sir," Elsa replied to the goblin's shock, though he didn't show it apart from a few blinks. Elsa was confused by this, because it was just common courtesy as far as she was concerned. His body language, though small, said it was rare in dealings with humans. Rose simply gave a nod to the goblin.

"Please wait over there until a tester is ready and has sent an assistant to bring you into the back," he said to them as he motioned over to a bench where there were a couple of other people waiting for something.

As they sat, Elsa asked Rose a question, "How come they didn't ask what accounts we were testing for or something like that?"

Rose gave a chuckle as she said, "Well they used to do that from what I heard, but since the test doesn't look at a certain account in particular. It was decided to be redundant and a waste of time to require such a question be asked. Goblins are all about efficiency in their paper work and such. Or well as much efficiency as they can get before customers complain about them 'dumbing' down business."

It didn't take too long before they were led into the back by a younger looking goblin. He led them through many doors and through many cubicle type offices in the back that most wizards and witches don't usually see. Finally, they approached a large bronze double door with finely crafted silver pillars on its sides. There was another goblin standing next to it waiting on them it seemed.

He dismissed the assistant and introduced himself, "I'm tester Gold Knife. I will run the ritual, but we must do so under the observation of a Head Accountant. The one in charge for today is Silver Nail. He is waiting for us on the other side of this door."

{-} {-} {-}

Silver Nail gave a sigh as he waited in his office. Usually he was very busy with a lot of business, but today he had the duty of supervising Account Tests. This was something that happened twice a year and went to a different head goblin accountant each time so they weren't kept from too much important business. His first time with this duty he was a bit excited, but that was back when he was still a hot shot 'young' head accountant, but it soon became clear this important duty had become something of a joke.

Account Testing was a powerful and important task. The test would see what accounts a wizard or witch were eligible to use and to what degree of access they had. It was a practice put in to place long ago so the old accounts would never truly die nor would they be given to some lucky snot nosed brat by complete accident just because his family had some connections to lean on.

However, the important ritual was little better than a wizard's play thing in practice. There was no real penalty apart from a service fee for failure as far as the wizards were concerned. It also affected said wizard's standing with Gringotts if it happened too often, but most wizards were too stupid with their money to notice or they just didn't care.

Ultimately it was a stupid task to be in charge of for the day and often meant dealing with upset wizards and witches that were convinced something was wrong with the test or they were cheated. In the end, they still paid the fee and weren't really dealt with again at his level. Still it was boring and Silver Nail felt it was a waste of his valuable time. There were so many business transactions he could be dealing with instead, but he was stuck here.

It was important they make sure the procedures for the ritual were still followed correctly, and no one was rigging it for a payoff of some kind on the side, but it made for a long and usually unproductive day. He doubted there would be anyone today who came through and turned out to be linked to an important account or anything. The truth was the process was a bit of a gamble.

Sometimes with the account test a wizard could be unlucky enough to end up with an ancient account in poor standing or something like that. When that happened it was usually the talk of the office for days. "That will show those foolish wizard igcrods a thing or two," was a common comment followed by a laugh on those days. This was even more the case when it was a very ungrateful and nose in the air type who requested the test.

Silver Nail heard a knock on his office door. " _At least I can stay in my nice office for this,"_ he thought to himself before bellowing, "Enter. Make it quick." He had to still show he was busy and important after all. It was the goblin way. It didn't matter he was stuck in his office and not allowed to really do anything else.

The door opened and in walked a lady that raised his suspicions and instincts a little. The young girl with platinum blonde hair seemed to ooze of raw natural power. " _This is interesting,_ " he thought as he looked the girl over. She knew how to hold herself alright. She had an air of true nobility, honor, and maybe something more that he couldn't recognize right away.

The two women curtsied to him as they both said, "Thanks for allowing us to take the test on your time." That was a bit unexpected of them. He didn't expect such polite manners. Usually when someone first entered for the test they were either indifferent, which he was fine with, or they were oozing with confidence thinking that would help them with the test.

"Have a seat. Am I correct to assume it is you, young one, who is taking the test?" He asked as Gold Knife got the ritual tools ready. Silver Nail pulled out a fresh scroll and started writing at their nods.

"What is your name?" He asked.

The girl looked to the woman next to her and they seemed to come to some agreement. He made a note of that. "I go by Elsa Evergreen."

He copied her words exactly. He figured the girl thought she was protecting herself by possibly using an alias. It wouldn't matter the test would say who she really was regardless of if she was using an alias or not. Though, he couldn't help but think he had heard the name mentioned somewhere before. It wasn't really common in the magical world that he knew of at least.

"My name is Silver Nail and I am the Head Accountant on duty for account testing today." He said as he wrote in his notes. "Tester what is your name for the record," he said.

"I am account tester Gold Knife," the goblin replied easily as he finished preparations.

"For the record, have you taken an accounts test with Gringotts before, Miss Evergreen?" Silver Nail asked.

"No, I have not," she calmly replied. She was a bit nervous and curious about this test more and more. She would not let it show though and so she drew upon her Queen training.

Either she wasn't nervous and knew something he didn't, or she was controlled enough not to let her emotions show as far as the goblin was concerned. " _Maybe a bit of both?_ " Silver thought to himself.

Gold Knife spoke up, "I'm ready over here, Miss Evergreen. If you will stand in the circle." He said as he got into position himself. Elsa did as she was told.

"I will recite an incantation in my native tongue over the instruments and hand you the knife. Prick your finger for a little blood and make sure it falls into the ceremonial bowl here. Are you okay with this?" He gave her a goblin teasing grin as he asked, "You aren't so squeamish this gets to you. Are you?"

Elsa looked at him in the eyes and couldn't help but feel a little insulted. Her icy blue eyes showed her resolve and a little of her powers filled the room briefly before she reigned them in again. Gold flinched a little, but only Silver noticed it. The head accountant decided he would tease the other goblin later for flinching to a little human girl.

Gold Knife concentrated as his hands glowed and he started the old ritual incantation. He moved his hands over the bowl and knife as he did so. Unnoticed by him Elsa watched with curiosity as he performed his part of the ritual. A small part of her wondered if maybe the goblins hammed it up a little bit to seem more important in front of others. She saw signs of this while they went through the various offices to get here. There was a lot on display to show off, even the goblins working in cubicles seemed to make a show of how important and busy they were.

Gold finished and then looked Elsa in the eyes as he handed her the knife. " _Time to see if this girl isn't all bark with her tough and powerful act… If it is an act,_ " he thought as Elsa pricked her finger with a small wince and forced out some blood into the bowl. Once there was enough in the bowl, her finger healed.

The bowl was silent and still for a moment after her drops of blood landed into it. Elsa looked at it and wondered if this meant the test had failed. It wouldn't matter for her really. She did supposedly have some accounts or vaults under her name for when she was in the wizarding world. It was mostly so her Arendelle books wouldn't have to reflect her money used for magical school or so she was told during her Queen training.

"Hmmmm…." Silver said as he watched the bowl sit there. "This won't be a boring day after all," he said as Gold nodded in agreement, but he wasn't as good at hiding his excitement.

"What do you mean?" Elsa asked.

Gold gave a grin as he answered, "Most would think there would be a flash or a puff of smoke or something exuberant to show they had successfully passed the accounts test, but it is actually the opposite." He almost snickered as he added, "We designed the test to do those things just to see the hopefuls' reaction when we tell them they don't have any accounts."

Silver gave a chuckle, "Yes, very true. If the hopeful is half way decent during the process, we break it too them smoothly and tell them no such luck more or less. If they are excessively rude, well we have our little fun with them and they don't tell anyone about it out of embarrassment."

Elsa now more at ease, but still curious said, "Just goes to show that father and mother were right when they taught my sister and me to treat others with respect until they show they deserve otherwise."

"True and good words to live by," Silver Nail said as he waited. It was taking longer than he thought it would even if she had passed the test. " _Really not going to be a boring waste of time today,_ " he thought as he wondered what he and Gold Knife were about to learn regarding young Elsa.

Soon an ancient but marvelous scroll appeared on Silver's desk. Both he and Gold Knife failed to hide their surprise at this turn of events. A scroll always appeared like this when the test was passed, but it was usually just a standard scroll. "Boy am I glad you're here, Silver Knife. That's a scroll only a head accountant and the owner can touch."

Speaking of owners, said owner was looking at the scroll with the kind of wonderment only a curious eleven-year-old could manage. She even touched it and nothing happened to the scroll. She ran a finger across her family's royal crest and was about to open the scroll when Silver Nail managed to come back to the present. He grabbed it quickly and started to unroll it. "I was going to look at that…" Elsa said as she accidentally let a frown slip through her Queenly mask.

He paid little mind to her as he said causally, "I doubt an eleven-year-old would understand anything about accounting scrolls. No offense intended."

Elsa's frown deepened as she said, "I already took accounting…" She had, in her surprise at the scroll, briefly forgotten her 'cover' as she called it.

Sliver Nail stopped what he was doing and looked at her in surprise. Gold Knife was giving a similar look as well. Elsa seemed to remember her place as she blushed a little and straightened up. "Do you think you would understand non-magical currency to magical currency exchange rates?" Silver asked in genuine curiosity. As far as he knew with what was going on right now, she might.

Elsa managed to look to the scroll and shook her head. She also made a mental note to learn the exchange rates for her own look at the books or rather 'scroll' in this case. She wouldn't settle for just knowing she had money. Not even just knowing she had a lot of magical money.

Silver Nail's eyes widened as he briefly looked at the numbers on the scroll and they managed to bulge as he paid extra attention to the Family crest. This was huge! He wasn't sure what to do here.

Many thoughts ran through Silver's mind quickly as he looked through the scroll. He realized what Family Crest that was and where he had heard the name Evergreen before. In front of him was royalty, she wasn't just wizard nobility or just super rich, though she was that judging by the numbers, but actual royalty. He even knew she was royalty from a very financially powerful country in the world. They were even a bit of a haven for magical to non-magical business.

Silver Nail knew about those things, because to goblins business was business. They dealt in both the magical world and the non-magical one. Most wizards did not know anything about the non-magical world. Elsa Evergreen was not just a princess, but the crown princess of Arendelle. Also when someone in the royal family had magic powers they were almost always strong in those powers. " _That explains why I felt the way I did when she walked in to my office,_ " he told himself as he tried to gather his thoughts.

He wasn't sure how to respond here. She was royalty. But she was human and a witch. If word got around too much, it could be bad for his reputation. He could be seen as a "Human Panderer and Beggar". He did know one thing. He had to make sure Gold Knife knew no one apart from them, approved higher ups, and the Goblin King knew the full results of this accounts test. There was also the fact that she had treated him respectfully and believed to always treat others that way until they prove to you they deserve otherwise. Some would think that meant you could only go up or stay on the same level, but he was smarter than that. He knew that went both ways.

In the end, his goblin honor and greed won out. This was a chance for him to get in the good graces of someone who would be very important, and hopefully he could do business with her in the future. Usually when someone passes an accounts test the overseeing Head Accountant is in control of those accounts. The client can ask for someone in particular, or the accounts can be handed off by the Head Accountant. Given who Princess Elsa was, he had to report her to all of the right goblins and some of them could take control of overseeing her accounts if they wanted. Elsa could ask to have him help with them if she wanted, or they could just do some business together in the future of a different kind if she wanted.

Silver Nail stood up came around to the front of his desk and gave Elsa a bow. "I hope my crass behavior hasn't offended you, your Highness." Gold Knife's jaw dropped a little before he too bowed to Elsa as well.

"I wouldn't call it crass, Mister Silver Nail. You were neutral towards me. Which is understandable given you didn't know who I was and the way your people are treated by your clients," Elsa answered in her 'Polite Queen' voice. When they stood back up Elsa sat down and asked, "What are the appropriate steps from here on now?"

Silver remained standing as he walked around to the back of his desk and looked over the scroll in a little more detail and explained. "Gringotts will take 15 Galleons out of your account to cover the test fee. I will finish my report and then send it to all of the appropriate staff. I will then send you a message by owl, which usually arrives either early in the morning or early in the night unless there is an emergency then it is sent immediately. The message will tell you a brief summary of your accounts with Gringotts including a statement on balance."

Elsa nodded to this. It seemed like typical banking 101 to her. Silver continued, "You will probably be seeing a lot of mail in the recent upcoming days given your standing and who you are. Do not worry about exposure or anything like that. We are very good at discretion with our client's information."

Silver gave a sigh. He had to do something he didn't like doing, "I will admit that while I wish of us to do business in the future, your Highness. I am not the most qualified in every service our establishment offers. I can send you a report that explains to you who is for each service including the ones I am most qualified for. You won't have to worry about your secret being exposed either. Everyone on the list I will provide you, are already in a position they will know who you really are and to publicly refer to you as Miss Evergreen." It was tough saying he wasn't the best. It went against most of their culture and his pride, but in this circumstance he was duty bound to tell her the whole truth.

At the same time, he was honest when he said he would like to do business with her again. This had caused Gold to gasp. It was a huge show of respect for a goblin to say they wanted to do business with you in the future like this. For the tester goblin, this was the kind of day testers dreamed about.

Elsa didn't know the full measure of his gesture at the time and saw it as Silver just being courteous in his dealings with her. She gave him a smile and said, "I would appreciate that, Mister Silver Nail." She then turned and looked to the other goblin and asked, "Am I correct to guess it is safe for you to know who I am and I don't have anything to fear?"

Gold Knife gave a smile that seemed to be almost pleasant as he answered with pride, "No need to worry here, your Highness. Part of the procedure for Accounts Testers is for us to swear not to share the information we learned during the test. If we were to break that oath, the consequences would be very dire. I won't go into the details unless you want me to."

"No need to do so, Mister Gold Knife," she assured him.

She turned back to the goblin behind the desk. "Is there anything else?"

Silver gave a nod and placed his hands on the desk. There was a poof of smoke and he gave her a card with the official Gringotts seal on it. "This is our pay card. Do you know how a debit card works?"

Elsa nodded to this. He continued. "Good. It is pretty much the same thing. All wizarding merchants accept it. Those who don't are usually vendors at some events and don't have the means to accept it. Usually I would recommend waiting to use it until you have a detailed report on your accounts, but I can tell you from a quick glance you don't have anything to worry about anything regarding that. Any questions?"

Elsa looked the card over and examined it for a moment before she asked, "What is the swipe or usage fee for this card?" She asked this because usually banks charged you a swipe fee for using a debit card, since they couldn't get you with interest like they could with credit cards. (A/N: This is how it was in the past.)

Silver actually looked a little confused here. "We don't have such a fee for the card. In some cases, there is an upfront cost for getting the card, but in this case there isn't."

Elsa nodded, "Good to know. Two last requests for the time being, sir." Silver Nail nodded to show he was paying attention. "I would like something to use as reference for exchange rates. I would also like a full copy of the account books. I mean scrolls. I was taught to always keep a close eye on your own books as well."

Silver nodded to this, "I will get them prepped for you as soon as we can". He was kind of looking forward to meeting with Elsa again. He had never met an eleven-year-old who already knew accounting and wanted to put it into practice.

Elsa looked over the card again and sighed. "I am sorry to once again take up an extra moment of your time, Silver Nail," she started.

Silver shook his head and said, "Your Highness. You are not taking up my time."

Elsa gave him an appreciative smile. "I was curious if the Gringotts Card worked in the muggle world as well."

Silver Nail gave a smile to this. It was something the goblin nation was a little proud of even if most of their customers didn't care about such things. "It does work in the muggle world as well. If you go to any store that accepts Debit/Credit Cards, the Gringotts Card will work there as well."

Elsa gave a nod to this. "That is very impressive. I only hope more people in the wizarding world come to appreciate such work. I can't imagine it is easy to accomplish such a feat."

Silver Nail continued to smile. If he was a lesser goblin and didn't know who she was, he might think Elsa was trying to get on his good side and butter up to him. However, he was a Head Accountant at the most prestigious, and only, bank in the wizarding world. He knew it was nothing more than a genuine compliment. Goblins appreciated sincerity, but did not like overdone flattery.

"Is there anything else you wish for help with, Princess Elsa?" Silver asked.

"Not that I can think of at this time," she answered.

"Thank you for your business. If there is anything else, feel free to send an owl," Silver Nail said as he stood up and led her to the door. He summoned an assistant goblin again to accompany Elsa and Rose back to the lobby.

Once the door was closed, Gold Knife shook his head in amazement. "Meeting with Royalty. Never thought I would experience that. Things ought to be interesting in the next few years and hopefully profitable."

"Yes. It is a rare opportunity. I know you have your vows and your honor, but I still will stress the importance of not letting anyone without proper authorization know about the details of our proceedings today," Silver Nail said.

Gold knife gave a frown, "I'm not some self-important wizard igcrod. I know this, but I suppose the extra precaution is necessary. Shall we finish up the paperwork regarding this Accounts test?" Sliver Nail nodded and the two got back to work, even with this excitement business was business. They didn't really have too much else to do for the day, but slacking was something a true goblin never did.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Wizard Shopping Adventure

Now that she had money, or well a Gringotts' card in her case, it was time for something the princess figured would be much more enjoyable. It was time to shop in the wizarding world! "I didn't know you liked shopping this much, Miss Evergreen," Rose said as she looked at the princess' bright smile.

"I don't really mind it much, but I never really get to do too much of it. But this isn't shopping… This is shopping in the wizarding world! It's got to be crazy and fun I just know it!" Elsa said happily as she now had to figure out where to start.

"So many places to go, though... Where do we start?" Elsa asked.

"Why not with robes and the other basics," Rose replied with a faint smile. It was nice to see the young princess act closer to her age. Elsa was usually very mature and sometimes frighteningly so if you asked her, but Rose understood why the princess was this way.

"That sounds good. I saw a place earlier. I think it was called Madam Malkin's Robes for Every Occasion back towards the front," Elsa said.

Rose gave a frown as she said quietly, "I am sorry Princess, but I can't allow you to get your robes from there. I know you have to have your cover and all, but there are some limits. I mean no offense to the shop, but a young woman of your status needs something better than average robes from the usual shop. It's not the only shop that can give you the standard black robes needed for schooling. Plus, wouldn't you like to at least look at the less casual attire of this world?"

Elsa was surprised by Rose's response but she thought it over. "I guess it would make sense really. It would probably do well for me to know somethings about fashion in this world. Fashion is usually a way to get a hint at the status someone has currently or they wish to have in the future." She knew some people would go crazy about fashion as a way to impress others and fit in with a certain group of people, even if it cost most of their pay check to keep up with it.

She really didn't like the idea of being so limited in her choices of clothing according to the dress code. She could at least get the best options possible. There was also the fact she wanted to have a better idea about these dress robes she heard people talk about. She was sure Madam Malkin's would have some, but since they were more of a generalized clothing store they might not have a huge stock of certain types of robes. It also might not be as expansive as other stores might be.

"Where should we go for robes and my uniform then?" Elsa asked her guide.

"I know of a place. It will have what you need and more than just that. It's called Da Nell's Divine. There are a few more 'high class' places here, but they won't have anything that can pass as school robes there. Da Nell's will be perfect," Rose Diamond said with certainty. Elsa didn't see any reason not to trust her on this and so they made their way to the store.

On the way to Da Nell's, she was lucky enough to see a lot of other shops. It was pretty quickly obvious this was the place where the wealthier or those looking for higher quality items would come to shop. The stores here still had the rather haphazard growth architecture, but it seemed more refined here and handled with more of an aesthetic approach and grace.

{-} {-} {-}

"Hello, how may I help you today?" A pleasant voice asked them shortly after they had entered the store and been able to look around a little.

Elsa decided to answer. "I need robes for Hogwarts. I didn't really want to go with Madam Malkin's though. I also wanted to look around a little after that. Can you help me?"

The sales associate wasn't sure what to think of this, "Well we have robes that are considered in uniform for Hogwarts, but they aren't as affordable as Madam Malkin's. Are you sure about this?"

She didn't really recognize the girl and wanted to make sure the girl wasn't under some false impression. She also didn't want to upset a potential customer. Some of the others might have simply scoffed at this girl from some unknown family shopping here for a school uniform. They would figure she simply said she wanted to look around afterwards to seem more 'proper' or something.

Elsa gave a smile and a nod. "I hope it won't be a problem."

The associate gave a smile and said, "No, it won't be. I was just making sure you knew what you were getting yourself into is all. We have plenty of robes that will work. At the same time we get plenty of young customers who just want to look around and feel they have to have a reason to do so. Unfortunately, they feel this way because of certain views other employees hold." Elsa thought that sounded typical from what she knew of higher class stores.

"If you will follow me. I hope you don't mind having measurements taken," the sales associate said as she led the way.

"May I ask your name?" Elsa asked.

"I'm Cindy Finn what's your name?" Cindy said as she gave the girl a friendly smile.

"Elsa Evergreen," the princess replied.

"I'm not familiar with your family name. Are you perhaps a muggleborn? I didn't mean to pry if you're offended," she said.

"I'm not really offended. Why would I be?" Elsa asked curiously. Cindy really didn't want to be the one who told her this. For her sake, it was the woman with Elsa who answered instead.

"Family status is a really big deal for some families and wizards. Plus, muggleborns are usually seen as lesser witches and wizards at first until they prove their selves. Most don't really have much of an issue on the matter, but the more well to do and upper classes do actually care. I thought you were already aware of this, Elsa," Rose Diamond said.

"I do understand that. I just didn't understand why I would be offended by the question is all," Elsa said with a half frown. Rose probably didn't understand that Elsa's question was partly due to playing her role as a newcomer to the wizarding world.

"Some people really get offended if you don't know who they are and don't treat them like royalty," Cindy answered. She rolled her eyes at the memories of how some customers she had to deal with acted. Elsa was pleased with herself for not laughing at the irony of that statement.

Cindy turned to look at Elsa briefly as she said, "Some of the kids you will be going to school with will be that way. Hogwarts is still a great time and fun, but it does have problems." Cindy turned and pointed out the school section of their store. It was decent in size, but still small compared to everything else.

She then gave a little laugh as she said, "Sorry there isn't too much of a selection on school uniforms, but the fabrics are different and some of the robes have enchantments placed on them such as self-repairing, anti-staining, and even fade resistance. We also offer our patented Temperature Smart Enchantment for an extra fee."

Elsa looked over the fabrics of the robes and the uniform pieces as well. She had felt better fabrics of course, but this was a very good selection. "I don't suppose there is any way to have more color in my uniform is there?"

Cindy gave a chuckle. "I'm afraid there isn't. It is a school uniform, so I wouldn't worry about it too much. I actually don't mind how it looks myself and many others agree. Perhaps we're just used to it."

"I don't have a problem with how it looks. I actually think it looks nice. I just wish it wasn't grey, black and white only is all," Elsa said as she looked it over.

Cindy gave a smile as if there was something she wanted to say on the matter, but decided against it. She did ask, "Do you have any preferences on the fabrics or questions so far?"

Elsa thought over the different enchantments. They seemed self-explanatory for the most part. There was one she wanted a better explanation on though. "How does the Temperature Smart Enchantment work? Or at least what you can tell me about how it works?"

"Depending on outside conditions and your body's natural temperature it will either provide a bit of a cooling sensation or a heating sensation. It isn't too strong so it won't replace the use of a winter robe or coat, but it comes in really handy for drafty places, Spring and Fall as well. Or if there is an unexpected cold front or heat wave. You don't have to worry about using spells to offset the sudden change. This can be really helpful if you're in an area where magic use is prohibited, or simply sitting at a desk working, or reading a book on a couch without a fire place nearby," Cindy said.

The enchantment was something purely for convenience sake and nothing else. However, the right convenience, which this was, made a lot of money. Elsa thought it over in her head. She liked the idea, but wondered if her ice powers would effect it in some manner. She decided to give it a try anyways. "Can I have the enchantment on just one set?" she asked.

Cindy gave her a smile. "Yes you can, but I'll tell you this. Once you get used to having one set of robes with it, you'll want the others to have it as well." She knew this was true because she had made good use of her employee discount to have pretty much all of her own wardrobe use the enchantment.

"Maybe, but for now just one set Temperature Smart. I would like for all three sets to have the other enchantments you mentioned," Elsa said.

"No problem. Now if you would come over here we can get those measurements," Cindy said as she led Elsa to the dressing rooms.

{-} {-} {-}

Elsa was now standing on a raised section of floor while Cindy quite literally worked her magic. Rose remained quiet during it all. The associate and tailor may have been a little flashier than needed, but she couldn't get enough of Elsa's amazed look whenever she cast a spell. Cindy wished they would get more muggleborn children here. It was fun getting to show them magic for the first time and she knew there were plenty from wealthy families.

"What does that spell do?" Elsa asked as Cindy's wand glowed orange.

"It attaches the Temperature Smart enchantment," Cindy answered with a smile. "Everyone who works here learns it. It isn't the actual enchantment mind you. That's something kept very secret from most of the employees in the company."

Elsa surprisingly just gave a nod of understanding to this. That was something Cindy found rather fascinating about her young customer. Elsa didn't keep pestering her until she got a more satisfactory answer. The young girl was fairly mature in her manner without it seeming forced. At the same time, she was every bit the 11-year-old she was when it came to magic.

Cindy's wand whizzed, wished, and swished as she added the 'basic' enchantments on to Elsa's robes and uniforms. "Well that takes care of your school uniform. You mentioned you wanted to look at some other things while you were here. What did you have in mind, Miss Evergreen?"

"I was wanting to see some more casual clothes and possibly dress robes," Elsa replied.

"That isn't very usual for someone just starting out at Hogwarts," Cindy couldn't help but comment.

"Well whether I wish it or not, I am now a part of the wizarding world. I figured learning about the fashions was a way to start. Knowing what to look for in other's clothes and what it says can be rather insightful," Elsa said.

" _That's rather Slytherin of you_ ," Cindy thought to herself with a bit of a smile. She thought it would be something if this muggle raised girl ended up there. That would be a huge deal. Still, the girl did have a point. Now that she thought about it, Cindy was a little concerned about Elsa's statement. "I don't mean to pry, but what do you mean by that first part? Why are you here with a guardian instead of your parents?"

Rose shifted a little uncomfortably to this. " _This could be bad… What should I say to help Elsa…_ "? It turned out she needn't worry about Elsa though.

"I was meaning that I'm a witch. For at least the next seven years, I have to live most of that time in this world." She smiled as she said, "I think it will be fun, but I want to know everything about it and be as prepared as I can be for the start of school. My parents are extremely busy and wanted to come with me, but they couldn't. Rose here is very trusted by us and kind of helps others as well with starting things off. Thanks again Rose for helping me with all of this."

The disguised Rock Troll smiled as she said, "You're very welcome, Elsa. The day has been enjoyable for me already."

That explained things. Cindy was pretty certain Elsa was from a wealthy family. Cindy was a half-blood and her parents introduced her to both worlds, so she wasn't so ignorant to believe only pure bloods from old wizarding families could be wealthy. "Sorry I pried like that," Cindy said with a sorrowful frown. "It's just sometimes muggle families aren't too thrilled when they find out their daughter is a real life witch. I was just a little concerned. I still shouldn't have asked. Thanks for indulging my moment of selfishness."

She then straightened up and said, "Regarding casual clothes, most children at Hogwarts wear muggle clothes. Even if the styles are rather… eccentric and outdated. I will say one of the funniest things you will probably see is an adult wizard from a pure-blood family trying to dress like a muggle to fit in when they are out of the wizarding world. I can show you our selection, but it most likely isn't anything you will be used to seeing." Cindy gave a bit a light laugh that caused Rose to roll her eyes in understanding and Elsa to giggle.

"How bad could it be?" Elsa asked. This caused both of the older women to laugh as Cindy led the way.

Elsa stared at the clothes in front of her. Elsa blinked a few times and even gave herself a little pinch to make sure she hadn't walked into a nightmare of fashion. "This is bad… I don't really consider myself a fashion snob… but this is really bad… My parents wouldn't have even been caught dead wearing clothes like this as teens…"

The truth was Elsa knew her family was always rather fashionable. It kind of came with the whole royalty thing. They usually set the fashion trends in Arendelle. If they weren't setting the trends, they knew all about them from the different clothing designers always offering them the latest and greatest regarding their taste.

Still, she couldn't imagine even the most embarrassing parents in the real world wearing clothes like these. "I mean… these outfits clash as horribly as is possible…" Elsa said as she looked at a male mannequin wearing a pink blazer with pin striped... "Is that tweed?" pants. The shirt underneath was black. Some men could pull off a tweed suit, but not one like this.

Cindy and Rose looked around and noticed no one else paying attention to them and so they laughed a little. Elsa looked at the dresses in this section and they were something that looked like they were from the 50's and not the good kind of 50's. The women laughed again as the young girl shook her head.

"I hope causal robes aren't this bad…" Elsa said with a sigh. That ended up being their next stop.

Elsa was a bit relieved. Causal robes weren't that bad. She still preferred her own clothes, but these at least looked like elongated dresses, even if they were fit differently. Elsa preferred dresses to them though. Perhaps they could go and do a little shopping in the rest of London after this, even if not that she could wear her usual clothes and she would fit right in pretty much from what Cindy told her.

Cindy gave the young girl an explanation about the different styles and what they 'said' about the witch or wizard wearing them. Elsa even looked at the price tags. Cindy was surprised and further cemented her belief that Elsa was from a wealthy family when the girl didn't seem too shocked by the prices.

"Can I see the dress robe section now?" Elsa asked.

"I'm not sure why you would need those, but I'll show you them." Cindy knew she wasn't being a good sales woman right now, but she kind of saw Elsa as more than just a walking purse. She had already come to like the girl.

{-} {-} {-}

Elsa was shocked. She was really shocked. "How is it Wizards can more or less do formal attire correctly, but fail so horribly at everything else?" Elsa asked aloud. This caused Cindy and Rose to both laugh again. It was just so true in their opinions as well.

The men's dress robes ranged from semi-formal to formal. The semi-formal were more or less suits with a bit of a longer coat than usual with finely made robes on top. Honestly, if a wizard were to wear these out in the larger world minus the over robe they could pass as a fashionable business man. Sure it wasn't 'blending in', but it was rather less conspicuous than the 'muggle clothing' was.

Then there were the women's dress robes. They were really pretty and wouldn't look out of place on the ballroom dance floor or at any high society function. Actually they wouldn't look too bad in general. They were dressy, but they were pretty much long dresses and that was it. They also had some beautiful designs as well.

Elsa decided she would buy a couple. She knew she wouldn't be mixed in with the "Elite" of wizarding society in time to be invited to a function that required such dress, but she could wear them back home to any number of functions with her family. She could wear them to any of the dinners she had with her parents.

"Which ones to get…" Elsa said softly in thought.

Cindy was actually surprised by these words once again. It seemed she could be a proper sales woman for a happy customer after all. She started telling Elsa about the different dresses and their fabrics and more.

Elsa ended up getting two in the end. One was an aqua green blue dress with a lovely snow flake like pattern. It would work well with her beloved gloves and would do well for a dress during winter. She could even wear it around her birthday. She was born on the Winter solstice after all.

The second dress was sleeveless and had a base lavender color that transitioned into black at the bottom hem of the skirt. It also had a white gold embroidery design on the upper body portion of it. Elsa really liked the feel of the fabric. She even bought a matching pair of gloves to go with it. She looked at herself in the mirror and carefully wiggled her fingers to see how much movement the gloves gave her hand.

Cindy was actually impressed when she held Elsa's gloves for a moment while the young girl tried the new ones on. She felt the fabric and was able to recognize the level of craftsmanship put into them. Whoever Elsa's family was, they knew their stuff when it came to clothing accessories. There was a part of her that again hoped this muggle born and raised girl ended up in Slytherin. She would really rock the boat and Cindy felt the young witch would know how to deal with such people. " _She could probably out dignify, even the most dignified Slytherin if she wanted,_ " Cindy thought to herself. Another part hoped Elsa didn't end up there because she knew what Slytherin was like.

Cindy had a good friend who was in the house of the snake. Her friend was ambitious, but she had a bit of an honor code as well. Cindy's friend would only stab people in the back who did truly deserve it without a single hint of a shadow of doubt. This meant Cindy learned more about the inner workings of Slytherin House than she cared to know.

Elsa changed back into the outfit she wore earlier and avoided having the 'basic' enchantments added to the two new dresses. "Are you sure about that, Miss Evergreen?" Cindy asked.

"Yes I'm sure. I'm planning on wearing them in the real world. I think it might draw undue attention if they self-repair suddenly or something. Besides, it isn't likely they'll need such enchantments when I plan to wear them and I am still growing," Elsa told her.

"Okay. Is there anything else you need?" Cindy asked kindly.

"No, I think that will be everything this time," Elsa answered with a smile.

"Alright follow me and we'll get you checked out," Cindy said as she led the way over to a cash register. The saleswoman believed Elsa had more than enough money for her purchases, but she noticed some of her co-workers thought otherwise. She also noticed a couple of them giving her looks. Those couple probably thought she had spent too much time on such an insignificant customer. They also thought there was no way the girl or the woman she was with had the money for such purchases.

Cindy started ringing everything up. "Okay Miss Evergreen. You're total comes out to 560 galleons, 12 sickles, and 20 knuts." She could have sworn one of her fellow associates gave a bit of a scoff at the thought this no name girl could afford such an amount. Cindy really hoped Elsa didn't notice them.

Elsa did notice them and decided on how to deal with those people. They were being so snotty and they just screamed stuck up to her. She didn't like them. She might have given into her childish side a bit with her punishment for them. She smirked, because that would really get to them, as she made a show for them of bringing out her wallet.

Elsa gave Cindy a confident look as she said, "I hope you'll take payment in the form of Gringotts card." That got the other employees' attention as they not so secretly observed to see if she had such a card or not. It wasn't common to have such a card even among the 'pure-blood elite'. That was something someone like the Malfoy's, Longbottoms, or Greengrasses would have.

"Yes, we do…" Cindy said in a slightly shocked voice.

" _Better reward her for acting like these others,_ " Elsa thought to herself. Elsa smiled and asked, "Can you charge 590 galleons instead and keep the change for yourself?"

Cindy was shocked by this as well. "Yes, I can do that. Are you sure?"

Elsa nodded and said, "Yes, I'm sure. After all, you were very helpful even though I don't look to belong to some super fancy 'ancient and honorable' wizarding family."

" _Even though that's far from the actual truth,_ " she added mentally to herself. She also realized she took more pleasure in the whole scene than was 'Queenly'. Seeing the looks of shock on this one older lady's face was far too satisfying for her. Rose gave Elsa a calculating look, which the princess' cheeks might have only slightly pinked at once she noticed.

Cindy managed to keep her composure as she bagged the purchases for Elsa and thanked the girl for her business. Once Elsa left, she decided that maybe the girl didn't have the subtly needed for Slytherin unless all of that was intentional. " _She did really leave an impression though,_ " she thought. Cindy was very certain next time Elsa shopped here she would have the employees more than eager to help her and some of them might even try to pull rank or seniority to service the young girl. She really hoped she could see the follow up to this scene from the first-year witch in the future. It would be quite telling she was sure.

"Thank you again for your help, Cindy. I appreciate all you did for me," Elsa said before leaving with Rose. Elsa didn't appear to eager and relieved, but she also didn't come off as merely being polite. Cindy had a feeling she would be a bit of an envy in the store for a while after this day, but she was fine with that.

{-} {-} {-}

"I must say… That really was something, your Highness," Rose said quietly to Elsa. Rose's voice showed she wasn't sure if it was a good something or not.

"Like my parents say. Treat people neutrally until they prove otherwise. Cindy was very helpfully and the others didn't even bother to really hide their disdain for 'some upstart muggleborn' girl. I also really enjoyed her company and helpfulness," Elsa said with a smile.

Rose smiled as she said, "I have a feeling you could turn this world upside down if you really wanted to do so, Elsa."

Elsa smirked as she quietly said, "Yes, but that wouldn't be Queenly behavior. I will admit it is very tempting to go that way, though. It felt really good showing them like that." Elsa then gave a giggle which caused Rose to laugh as well.

"I say we head back down to the main part of Diagon Alley and get your wand next. Olivander is a bit of an odd sort of wizard, but his wand crafting expertise is far beyond that of most wand makers in the world. It is even more of a boon to his business that he can very much back up the renown he has earned in the wizarding world as a whole," Rose suggested.

Elsa smiled. "I really want to get a wand. The things I know they are capable of is purely amazing!" Rose gave a warm smile as she noticed the princess' giddiness at the prospect of owning her own wand. It was nice seeing her this way considering the reservations the young princess had towards leaving Arendelle and Anna for schooling.

As they made their way to the main part of Diagon Alley, Elsa gave as sigh once they passed a broom shop. "I really wish first years could have a broom. I really want one. I love the idea of flying outside under a warm spring morning or summer evening." She kept her focus, but her brain decided to pelt her with all kinds of wonderful daydreams of flying into the sunset with a handsome man next to her.

Rose gave a chuckle. "I know for a fact all first-years feel that way, Elsa. However, you don't even know how to fly yet and trying to teach yourself such a skill is foolhardy at best and deadly at worst. Hogwarts has a very good reason for not allowing first-year students to have a broom. However, come second year you can buy your own if you want. Most students seem to think only people on the sport teams are allowed to own a broom at school. That is not the case."

Elsa might have asked what this sport was, but she couldn't help running over to a store with a sign reading "Olivander's: founded in 382 B.C.". The sign showed two wands crossed with sparkling tips. She looked in the display window with an eagerness that showed she momentarily forgot her Queenly behavior.

The window displayed a wand on a velvet purple pillow. There was a sign next to it that claimed the displayed wand belonged to Merlin himself. Elsa doubted that was true, but she supposed it was possibly a model of the wand. She looked at the other wands on special display and didn't really recognize the names, but she was sure they were all famous witches or wizards from history.

The two entered the shop. It was shabby, but there were hundreds if not thousands of wand boxes all over the place. Apart from that, there was a small table with a cash register and a raised stool behind it. Elsa was a little disappointed, but at the same time she could appreciate the message it sent. The shop said, "We don't need to look fancy. We've been around long enough with quality products that you don't need to be impressed by frivolous displays."

Elsa took in a deep breath and momentarily closed her eyes. She could feel the flows in the tiny shop. She could tell they were ancient and powerful. She was drawn from her reprieve when a voice spoke from behind her. "Welcome to Olivander's. The finest wand makers since well before the romans conquered Britannia. I'm Mr. Olivander, proprietor of this honorable business. How may I help you?"

The princess would never admit it, but she was caught off guard by Mr. Olivander. She also didn't appreciate the way she could tell Rose was hiding a snicker at the princess' reaction. Elsa turned to the owner and gave him a slight curtsy, she was supposed to be a well-behaved muggle born girl from a foreign nation after all. "I'm Elsa Evergreen and I thought it was rather obvious why I entered your fine establishment, Mr. Olivander," she said in a perfectly polite and friendly voice.

The older man gave a goodhearted chuckle. "That it is, Miss Evergreen. I hope you won't mind indulging and elderly man's whims." He then gave her a slight bow as well. However, his mind was racing. He knew the surname Evergreen but he couldn't place why. He went about his business all the while his brain kept telling him he should know the name and it was very important. He only hoped his memory would be jogged as he helped her find the perfect wand.

"Which is your wand hand, or dominant hand?" he asked as he place the tape measure in a drawer. Something told him to not let it go crazy like he usually did for his own small amusement with this customer. The thing really wasn't needed, but he always found it funny when it measured the distance between a customer's nostrils. It usually served a double purpose of distracting new customers so they wouldn't be as nervous. This Elsa girl didn't seem to need such a distraction.

"I'm left handed," Elsa said in response. Olivander nodded and started looking through the various wands and picked one out.

"thirteen inches, Holly wood, unicorn hair core," he said as he handed the wand to Elsa. "Give it a try by slashing it." Elsa slashed and nothing happened. Olivander took the wand and placed it back on a shelf. "Hornbeam wood, nine inches, with a dragon heartstring core," he said handing the wand to her. She tried again and the spark was very small.

Olivander looked thoughtfully as he took the wand back and returned it to the shelf. "Eleven inches, Elm wood, unicorn hair core." He gave it to Elsa and she got a rather odd reaction this time. Olivander's eyes didn't betray his interest in this customer. It was odd to have smaller reactions like that. Usually wands were either a no go or very unresponsive before the proper wand was found.

Elsa ended up trying many wands in the shop of all kinds. However, she wasn't scared or nervous about this. In fact, she found it interesting and even asked Mr. Olivander about wand lore for each of the components. The wand maker was very happy to tell her as he looked over many different wands to see if they would work for her.

He finally placed a hand on his chin and hummed as he said, "A bit of an odd combination, but maybe it will work. There's only one way to find out." He pulled a wand from the shelves in a light green box. He opened it and presented it to Elsa. "Eleven inches, Beech Wood, Dragon heartstring. Most suited for one wise beyond their years and with a deep and different understanding from others. Even more so in this case, because the dragon from which this heartstring came from was well known for her cunning and intelligence," he said.

Elsa looked at the wand and picked it up. She felt a rush as she touched the wand and quickly picked it up. She held it and Olivander didn't even need to see her try the wand before he smiled and said, "Well. It seems we have a strong match! Always exciting when a customer takes time to find the right wand. You were very different from most, Miss Evergreen. I've never seen so many almost there bonds before in many of my years. I look forward to what you will accomplish Miss Evergreen," Mr. Olivander said excitedly as he rung her up.

Elsa had to admit she liked how the wand felt in her hand. Mr. Olivander's eyes widened slightly when she paid using her Gringotts Card. He found it very odd that he wasn't easily familiar with the last name Evergreen if Elsa was able to have such a method of payment.

{-} {-} {-}

The young princess gave a stretch as they left Olivander's. "That took a lot longer than I thought it would, but at least I have a wand now," she said with a smile.

Rose stifled a yawn as she nodded. "You can never really tell how long getting a wand will take. Sometimes it is instant and sometimes I've sat there even longer than I did for you, Elsa." She gave a stretch as well and said, "Olivander always goes on about how it's the wand that chooses the wizard. I'm not sure what he means by that and I know little about wand lore. I've heard stories before and they were interesting, but I never really absorbed the knowledge. Wand lore usually varies from wand maker to wand maker and gets really confusing. They'd have you believe that every wand wood is super precious and hard to come by. I think they partly do so to justify the cost of a wand," she gave a laugh at the last bit and Elsa did as well.

They next went and took care of getting Elsa her supplies for Potions. Elsa thought the Apothecary was interesting because of all the various ingredients and herbs it sold. It was also lucky because it was right next to where she would be getting her cauldron. She was surprised how many different types of cauldrons there were. She was going to get pewter standard size 2 like the list said, but it was interesting looking at the others.

There was a pure gold cauldron which she was surprised was actually cheaper than the pure copper one next to it. She saw several different pewter black cauldrons boasting things like "quicker heating" or "easy clean up". She wasn't too sure about those they sounded a little on the too good to be true side.

She had been looking at them for a while and got the attention of a sales associate. "I'm sorry but those aren't really allowed at Hogwarts, miss. May I help you?" the young lady asked. She was probably just a few years out of Hogwarts.

"Oh, I was just looking. Why aren't they allowed, though?" Elsa asked. It was a good question.

"Because Professor Snape will confiscate them. He may not be the most agreeable sort, but he is right in using a standardized simpler version of cauldron. You should have a more basic idea about how to work potions before using such improved cauldrons. It's the same reason you can't get a self-stirring one either," the helper answered.

"That is too bad about the last one that sounds really handy," Elsa said with a slight frown.

"It is very handy, especially for potioneers. You could work on multiple at once if you had a few of them. However, you have to set the stir intervals with a rune on the side. Which means you need to know how often to stir a potion and learn each cauldron's quirks. Some heat a slight bit faster or slower," the lady said with a smile.

"Interesting. Where could I find the right cauldron then?" Elsa asked.

"Follow me. I would also recommend you get a cleaning kit as well, which of course we sell," the helper said. It wasn't long until Elsa had her cauldron and a kit and even an ingredient preservation box. The one she got from the herbalist for free wasn't really good for long term storage like she would need at Hogwarts.

Once they left the shop with her new cauldron, they went into a trunk store. There were a lot of trunks and a lot of options as well. There were even some that more or less had what was a home inside it. Elsa found that really impressive, but far too extravagant for her purposes. Maybe it was something to keep in mind for later. In the end, she got a sizable trunk with three locks each one opening a different and independent version of the trunk and they were all very roomy. It was also given a featherlight charm as well.

Their next stop was Eeylopes Owl Emporium which had a sign boasting that it had more species than ever before including exotics. Elsa was excited for this store as well. She really wanted an owl and a second one for her sister. She double checked with Rose on that again just to be sure it was allowed and it was.

When she opened the door to the store her eyes went wide in excitement. She had never seen so many owls before especially in one place. She loved looking at all of the different breeds. Some were local, others were more exotic and there were so many cages and treats for the owls of all kinds and so much more. She saw one owl that was a beautiful snowy white owl that was way up at the top. She saw many others as well. She wondered how she would find the right owls.

As she looked around, she soon found one owl that really stood out to her. The owl was a Great Horned Owl. It had a mostly grey colored body with lots of white in it. The owl also had some red brown here and there including the horns and face. It was an exotic owl to this side of the world, but very common in the Americas. She liked the owl. He almost seemed to have a certain regal feel to him.

The owl seemed to notice Elsa was looking at him and so he puffed up a bit. It hooted at her in a way that said, "You'd be wise to select me. I'm the best!" The owl even came down to land on her shoulder.

"Sorry about that ma'am. We let the owls have a little breather every once in a while. It was this fellow's turn. Usually they keep to their selves and they won't leave the shop unless they are purchased. Shoo' boy. Don't bother the young missus like that," one of the attendants said. He was a man in his forties.

The owl didn't move but gave the owner a look. Elsa gave a giggle as she reached up to the owl carefully with her other hand to pet it. The owl seemed to almost smile at her touch, if owls could smile. Elsa somehow could tell he liked her touch. She smiled and looked to the shop keeper. "I think I will take him. He noticed I was looking at him and came to me like this to say he was the best obviously." The owl on her shoulder seemed to stand taller.

"Well he is a very proud but usually well behaved one," the wizard helper said as he used his wand to get the owl's cage. "Would you like the starter kit as well?" he asked.

Elsa nodded. "I would actually like two. I'm planning on getting an owl for my younger sister as well. It will be a late birthday present for her."

The man smiled at her. "Feel free to look around." The older man then looked to her shoulder and smiled wider. "He's clearly not going anywhere any time soon." The man gave a chuckle. He loved owls. They had such interesting personalities at times and with all of the exotics he got recently he got to see even more of them.

Elsa looked around as the new owl stayed on her shoulder. She paused and looked at him in thought. The owl looked back and even titled his head at her. This caused her to giggle a little. "Think I know the perfect name for you already," she said as the owl seemed to pay close attention to her. She smiled and said, "Hermod." The Owl seemed to think it over and nod to her. "After all, if you are the best. What better name for you than that of the Messenger of the Norse gods." The now named Hermod puffed up once again and stood tall looking regal as ever.

Rose gave a smile as she said, "That does seem to be a very fitting name, Miss Elsa. What kind of owl would you think Miss Anna would like?"

Elsa was in thought. She wanted to get something a bit more common for the area for her sister, but not too common. It still had to be a beautiful owl that stood out though. She looked at all of the different owls, there were so many of them.

Rose couldn't help but give a light laugh. Hermod was striking a thinking pose when Elsa was concentrating on what to get Anna. It was like he too was thinking over it. It seemed the owl was very taken with the Princess.

"Hmmm… Has to be another owl fit for a princess…" Elsa said under her breath as she looked to Hermod. Rose barely managed to hide a laugh to that. It seemed the Princess was taken with her owl already too.

After a little longer, Hermod gave a hoot and seemed to look up at another owl. Elsa looked up as well. It was a really large owl. Probably one of the largest owls here. It had a lot of pale grey with streaks and splotches of black here and there. It was an Eagle Owl, but more precisely it was a Siberian Eagle Owl.

This owl also seemed to notice Elsa and Hermod looking at it. The owl seemed to rouse from a nap and walked to the edge of the cage to give them a better look. It seemed to give them a passing approval. "Would you like to be with my sister?" Elsa asked the owl. It was odd but she felt like these owls understood her to an extent. "She's very caring and loving and rather outgoing with a little bit of mischievousness but in an endearing way."

The owl and Elsa held each other's gaze for a good while. It was as if the owl trying to sense something. Hermod gave the other owl a slight hoot as if it was telling this owl something. The other owl seemed to wake up a little more and gave a hoot back.

"I guess that's a yes?" Elsa asked. The other owl gave a nod. It was a very striking and beautiful owl. Elsa thought it was a great match for her sister. It also seemed to have patience in a way, if owls could have such a thing.

"Sir. I'd like to take this one for my sister," Elsa said.

The man came over. "Oh yes. She really is a very beautiful one. I'm sure your sister would like her. She's also rather calm, but very alert too. I'd say she'd make for a good listener. Something that would be great for a younger sister when her older sister goes off to Hogwarts." The man gave Elsa a wink. Elsa smiled to him as he got the owl and the cage ready.

Once everything was said and done, Elsa had everything she'd need for two owls. She got treats that would last for a good while. Elsa would find time to get more during Christmas. The man totaled it all up. "Alight. That will be 44 galleons 12 sickles and 3 knuts for everything. You made some good choices with these owls. No doubt you had an expert to help you," he said giving a smile as Hermod gave a hoot in agreement.

"Alright, Hermod. I'm afraid you need to get in your cage now," Elsa said as she handed over the card to the shop owner, who gave a whistle before swiping it. Hermod hopped off Elsa's shoulder and got in his cage before hooting to let her now he was ready for her to close the cage. Elsa gave him a smile as she closed the cage. She hoped they had something like an owlery back home. She really didn't want to keep either owl locked up in their cage the whole time and she knew Anna would agree on this.

After getting the owls, there was really only one last stop on their trip, the book store. Elsa was really excited about this too. She would have to admit she was probably excited about everything she had done on this trip. Rose looked to the store and gave a sigh. "I suppose I'll wait out here with the owls. Try not to take too long, Elsa. You do want to see your sister again before you have to leave for Hogwarts, right?"

Elsa blushed a little here. She wasn't that bad. Was she? She never really had shopped in a book store before, she just used their very expansive library in the palace. " _Now that I think about it. There were times when I wouldn't have left the library if someone hadn't come to fetch me,_ " she thought to herself.

{-} {-} {-}

Elsa picked up another book and browsed it. There were so many here. All of them new and interesting. She'd already picked out all of her school books, she wasn't sure how long ago. There were so many other ones to look at. She was looking at one that was titled, "So Beautiful its Magical!" it was a book about beautification spells and such for witches. She didn't think herself too vain, but she was a princess and therefore had to look the part. She put the book in with the others.

She walked a little more and found another one that looked interesting. "How to Learn Languages the Magic Way: Japanese," was the title for this one. It talked about using translation spells to help with pronunciation. The idea was you used the translation spell the book provided and it would record and play it back for you in a way and then you would try to match the translation.

Arendelle did business with people in Japan. They usually spoke English, but learning the language sounded fun too and helpful. She'd have to figure out when to put it into her schedule. It would also do well for her to use these books to learn other languages while at Hogwarts so she wouldn't have to worry about that over summer. She already knew her summers would be packed full, since she was going to be in Hogwarts the most of the year. She would like to take care of languages there if possible. She would try with just this one for now and see how it worked out for her.

She added other books as well. The last one she added was a book titled "Unexpectedly useful Information for Wizards regarding Muggleborns and Vice Versa". She had pursued that book a little to check and make sure it wasn't a joke book or something of the like. It seemed legitimate and was actually a recent edition.

The girl working the cash register looked amazed at the amount of books Elsa was buying. She shook her head and gave a small smile as she started ringing them up. "Obviously Ravenclaw," the girl muttered under her breath thinking Elsa didn't hear her. Elsa just ignored the words. The girl was surprised when Elsa handed her the Gringotts card once everything was rung up. Elsa hoped this wouldn't always be a thing and maybe she could find a way that it wouldn't be as surprising for others.

{-} {-} {-}

While it had taken Elsa much longer in the book store than it should have, it didn't take them long at all to get home to Arendelle. It was however, on the late side in Arendelle. Elsa gave a stretch and a yawn. "Oh no, Princess. You don't get to be tired now. You were the one who took so long in the book store," Rose teased the young princess. Elsa gave her a frown.

"Well it is good to see you are finally back, Princess Elsa. It is also a good thing I brought a good book with me given how long it took you to shop," a man's voice said with a bit of sternness. Elsa gave a nervous laugh as she looked to Adalbert and apologized. He gave a sigh and smiled as he said, "I suppose it makes sense. I will take that trunk for you. I am really surprised that is all you have with you after such a trip."

"This is a magic trunk. It has a lot of room in it and it is more like three trunks in one," Elsa said as he picked it up and his widened in surprise. Elsa gave a giggle, "It's also really light."

"So, it is," Adalbert said in astonishment.

Elsa then added, "I'll carry Hermod in his cage." She held on to the cage close to her carefully earning a hoot from said owl.

"Miss Rose. Master Kristoff. Would you mind joining us for dinner? I was told to offer you an invitation," The butler asked.

"I'd be delighted," Rose Diamond said with a smile.

"What?! Me too?" Kristoff asked in astonishment.

"Naturally, I can't expect a Lady to carry an owl cage. Do be careful with the other owl. It's obviously a gift for Princess Anna," Adalbert said. Kristoff deflated a little, but he perked back up after he carefully took the cage from Rose Diamond. He was still going to get to visit the Palace and have dinner with the Princesses along with the King and Queen.

{-} {-} {-}

Anna smiled again as she looked at the cage in her room with the most beautiful owl she had ever seen. Dinner was fun and exciting. She hadn't expected to get such a wonderful pet. "No. Partner," she corrected herself. The owl was far to lovely and beautiful to be rated as just a pet in her opinion.

She didn't know how it was this owl would let her send letters to Elsa, but that is what they all said. She wasn't going to complain too much. Why look too deep into such an amazing gift? Plus, they explained that the school Elsa was going to was very traditional, even if some of the traditions were odd. Besides, the owl was so wonderful.

"Sorry about keeping you in your cage like this tonight. Tomorrow they will re-purpose one of the decorative buildings in the garden to be a very wonderful house for both you and Hermod," Anna said to the owl. She felt like she had to apologize to it. The owl hooted at her and Anna somehow could tell that it was telling her not to worry about it.

"You need a wonderful name," Anna said. The owl perked up to that. Anna had been thinking names over since dinner. She hadn't come up with anything yet. She looked at the owl as it looked at her. "You need a name that's both beautiful and graceful." The owl nodded in agreement.

Anna placed a finger on her lips in thought as she hummed. She narrowed her eyes in concentration and the owl tilted its head to look at her from a different angle. Anna's blue eyes lit up as she smiled. "I got it! Skyla. I think that name suits you. What do you think?"

The owl gave a happy hoot and nodded. Anna's smile widened. "Skyla, it is then." She soon gave a yawn and got ready for bed before covering Skyla's cage for the night.

{-} {-} {-}

The rest of the summer passed by really fast. Elsa felt it was both too fast and not fast enough at the same time. She was still mixed about this whole thing. She wanted to go to Hogwarts really badly now and learn all she could there and meet new people. She also really hated leaving Anna and Arendelle. She was also a little scared of what it would be like to not be a princess.

Anna had no such mixed feelings. She was sad and already feeling a little lonely. Elsa had spent a lot of time with her, but her sister leaving to go away was inevitable. Anna couldn't even see Elsa off properly. Sure, she would get a good bye and watch as Elsa left the castle.

However, she wasn't going to even see Elsa off with her parents. She wanted to go but they kind of explained to her that she had to stay in the castle with the servants and many guards. It made sense in a way, but she didn't like it. If something happened to both her parents and Elsa, though very unlikely but still a remote possibility, she would need to be here to take up the crown. There was also the fact that while Elsa was her big sister, she was their parents' daughter and so they should get to see her off to her new school, even if they weren't actually going to the school with Elsa.

On the day she was leaving, Elsa came to Anna and the two sat in silence for a moment before Elsa gave Anna a great big hug. Anna couldn't help but start to cry. "I'm going to miss you so much Elsa," she sobbed.

Elsa gave a sniff as well. "And I'm going to miss you just as much if not more so Anna."

The two sisters hugged each other for a while longer before Elsa was retrieved by Liv and Adalbert. "I'll be sure to write lots! I love you Anna!" she said before she climbed into the car.

"I'll write you just as much if not more so! I love you Elsa! I'll make sure to catch up to on my lessons! You better do well at your school," Anna replied.

Elsa smiled. "I'll do that, Anna. You better not slack off!"

"I won't," Anna replied as she waved goodbye to her sister and waited for the car to drive out of sight. It was going to be a long time until Christmas. Anna just knew it. She sobbed a little longer but regained her composure. She was for all intents and purposes Queen of Arendelle Palace for now until her parents got back. She had to be strong, even if she was just nine years old.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Friends and Trains

Elsa waited for the floo fire to be ready. Both of her parents were here to see her off this time. She wasn't exactly happy they weren't going with her to the station, but she knew why they had to stay. They kind of had a country to run and a younger daughter to watch over. Plus, they didn't want to leave Anna alone too long, even with the servants and guards watching over her.

"Can't you just teach me magic, please? I know you're all amazing with it." Elsa asked as she had many times before. She knew what the answer was like every other time, but this was the last time she would be in Arendelle until Christmas. She felt like she had to ask it.

"I have said it many times before, dear Elsa. Our magic isn't normal and is very advanced, even for the most notable of the magical world," the trolls' leader told her. Elsa sighed in an overly dramatic way.

Grand Pabbie gave a chuckle before saying something he had never said before. "Which is why you better learn all you can about magic at Hogwarts, Elsa. After a year or two, depending on how well you take to magic, we will start teaching you our magic."

"It is part of the ancient oath we swore to your ancestors long ago. When a member of the royal family has the gift we will test them and if they pass we will teach them what we know of magic to help them in the protection of their country and those they love. Love is the key to our magic, Elsa. Remember that well. Love is the key. Something else you would do well to remember is that love comes in many forms." He finished just as the fire roared behind him.

Elsa was happy to hear this. They had so often told her it was impossible before now. She hadn't expected this at all because they had already done so much to help her with magic. The fact they said it would help her protect her country and loved ones was just a cherry on top.

"Quickly now Elsa, you wouldn't want to miss your train. Remember at school you are to keep your elemental powers a secret the best you can. Don't tell others you are royalty. The headmaster and the deputy head mistress know your true name and identity. They won't tell any others unless they need to do so. To all other people, you are known as Elsa Evergreen. Enjoy your time at Hogwarts," Her father said leaning down to give her a big hug.

"We will always love you, Elsa. Remember that. Write when you can. Do well in school and make true friends," her mother said through tears as she hugged her oldest daughter. "We're all going to miss you. Anna especially. Please write us lots."

Elsa nodded to her parents as she hugged them tight and sniffed back her own tears. She needed to be strong. She couldn't let any of the people she would first meet see her in tears. Elsa tightened the hug as much as she could. "I will. I'll miss you all too," she said.

She let go as she walked to the flames, threw the powder and said clearly, "King's Cross Station." She vanished in green smoke as the world began to spin around her. She kept calm and when the world returned to normal she was in a small VIP Smoking Lounge. However, no one was allowed to smoke in this one.

Elsa blinked as she looked around the room taking everything in she could while standing next to her luggage. She heard a screech and looked to see an owl near her. She jumped a little in surprise. A young man gave a little chuckle at her.

She gave him a frown and he cleared his throat. "Welcome to King's Cross, young Miss. Please take your trunk on a courtesy cart and feel free to exit into the main terminal. Remember Platform Nine and three quarters is right in the barrier between nine and ten. Approach while thinking about platform 9 ¾ and enter. No harm will fall to you and once on the platform a travel assistant can be found under the blue sign to help you with your luggage." The worker said with practiced ease, but she could hear the eagerness in his voice to make up for having laughed at her earlier and being caught doing so.

"Thank you, sir." Elsa replied as she helped herself to a cart. She was a little perplexed when the worker looked to her with genuine surprise. She guessed he wasn't used to being addressed respectfully.

" _It just goes to show how much arrogance has taken over the lives of those in the wizarding world,_ " She thought to herself with a frown. She was taught to treat all those around her respectfully until they deserved otherwise.

Those of "noble" birth didn't always bother with such things and were often made fools of in the esteemed courts of Arendelle. After all if the royal family treated others with some measure of respect, then you were an idiot not to do so as well.

" _Rule by fear and you may have your subjects' loyalty so long as no one stands up to you. Rule with respect and you have subjects that will serve you willingly even when others claim to be able to over throw you. Just be sure to know what happens in your kingdom and beyond as well._ " Elsa thought of the words her parents told her.

The worker came over and happily helped her load her luggage on her cart. "I'm sorry, sir… I don't know how to return your generosity apart from a thank you. Thank you for your help. It is much appreciated," Elsa said to him.

The man smiled and gave a good natured chuckle. "The fact you have thanked me is more than enough for me, my young lady." He then bowed and returned to his post waiting for the next floo arrival.

{-} {-} {-}

Elsa was mesmerized by the size of the train station and its grandeur. Arendelle didn't have anything like this. It didn't really have a need for something like this, though. It had plenty of ports and airports, since it was a powerful country trade wise. They just didn't have a massive pubic transportation railway system.

Arendelle's export used to be Ice due to the special nature it had and the fact it was easy to break apart, but hard to melt. Over many years though, its trade goods had increased substantially. It exported many goods now and as a result had a very good amount of political and economic power globally. This was part of the reason she was to be careful with information regarding her true origins. People would try to get some of that power in some way if they knew who she really was.

Elsa made her way over to the barrier between platforms nine and ten. She found it really curious how things had remained hidden and secret from non-magical people in such a busy place. She even remembered how not a soul paid her mind as she exited a VIP Smoking Lounge with a very full luggage cart and without an adult. The Leaky Cauldron was similar as well from what she heard.

"Platform nine and three quarters…." She heard a dark haired boy nearby say in a small voice.

Elsa looked at him. He looked really small for going to Hogwarts this year and he was wearing clothes that were several sizes too big for him. She frowned at the sight knowing what it could mean. She then looked up at his face.

She took in a deep breath as she saw the most piercing green eyes she had ever seen. She didn't notice the slight blush she had at the sight of those eyes as they looked at her. She did however notice the lightning shaped scar on his forehead. She was sure there was a story to tell there, but it was most likely very sad.

The Crown Princess of Arendelle regained her composure as the boy looked to her and she gave him a warm smile. The boy's cheeks turned red and he looked to the side. She frowned at him and decided she wasn't going to let him just look away like that. She had somehow decided she would make friends with him in that moment. " _How dare he look away like that when I smiled at him? I'll make sure he doesn't again…_ " she wasn't sure why his action upset her, but it did.

She calmed herself and marched her way over to him. She spoke to him in a voice that demanded he listen, but wasn't forceful. "Excuse me, but did you say you were looking for a platform nine and three quarters?"

The boy looked to the ground as he said, "Ummm… No. Sorry I wasn't saying anything like that, ma'am…" He had learned his lesson from earlier when he was either made fun of or not taken seriously for such a questions.

Elsa gave his response a frown. She didn't like how he just denied saying something. It made her feel a little foolish. She shook her head and mentally gave herself a determined look. She was supposed to make friends and this boy would be her first in the magical world, she was sure about it.

Elsa grabbed his hand and the boy looked up to her in shock. It was almost as if he was scared for some reason. She put that thought to the side for later. "I'm pretty sure you did. If you didn't then I would look pretty stupid after doing what I am about to do. And a young lady such as myself should not look stupid."

The boy was still confused, but at least he wasn't as afraid of her holding his hand now. "I know how to get to platform nine and three quarters. I need to get on a train departing from there called the Hogwarts Express." Elsa gave him a friendly smile. She had learned from her sister the best way to make people feel better was with a smile. Anna was an expert on the subject.

The boy's deep green eyes widened and soon a look of relief flooded his face. "I-I-I did say that… ummm…," he started.

"Elsa Evergreen. What's your name?" She kept up what she thought of as her winning smile.

The boy gave a smile of his own. Elsa thought this expression suited him much better than the frown he had earlier. "Harry Potter. Pleased to meet you, Elsa Evergreen."

Elsa felt relieved. Things were off to a good start it seemed. She would have hated for her first attempt at making friends with someone not part of the staff at the castle to go sour. She didn't count Kristoff or the Rock Trolls. "Pleased to meet you as well, Harry Potter." She was happy he seemed to actually be a rather well-mannered sort now that he wasn't denying what he said.

Harry spoke up again, "So how do we get to the platform?"

Elsa gave a sigh as she looked at it. She had to admit it was much more intimidating being in front of the wall in person than just hearing about it. "Well from what I was told by the man who helped me with my luggage. You just have to think about platform 9 ¾ before entering the barrier between nine and ten."

The two eleven year old kids looked at the wall carefully for a bit and Harry asked, "A-Are you sure about this, Elsa?"

Elsa gulped subconsciously and gave a nod. "I'm very certain. Though I will admit it seems much more intimidating in person." She regained her resolve as she looked at the wall with narrowed icy blue eyes. "Best take it at a run. I'm sure no one will notice."

Harry looked around at all of the people nearby. "Really?" he asked, his voice full of curiosity.

"Well no one noticed an eleven year old girl with a full luggage cart leave a VIP Smoking Lounge alone. I have a feeling they won't notice this either. Magic really is an amazing thing," Elsa said with a hint of wonderment.

Harry wasn't fully convinced, but he felt there was a good chance Elsa was right. "L-ladies first…" he said nervously in an attempt to hide his apprehension with courtesy.

Elsa rolled her eyes, but led the way regardless. " _A ruler must be willing to face danger to protect their beloved country,_ " she thought to herself as she made her way. She started picking up speed and closed her eyes as she neared the wall.

She was ready for a very harsh impact, but it never came. She opened her eyes and saw a bright red old fashioned steam engine with several cars on the train tracks. She looked around and saw people who were obviously unmistakably witches and wizards with their kids. There were many people actually dressed normally here too. She figured these were the muggles and muggleborns.

She looked around with wide eyes and took everything in she could. The young princess felt excited at the sight. She was really going to a school where she would learn about magic! She looked and saw the blue sign she was told about along the back wall of the platform.

Elsa waited and she heard a whirling sound. She immediately understood it was the portal she had passed through seconds ago. She heard a gasp as she looked to her side and saw the boy from earlier standing next to her. She gave a small giggle as she covered her mouth and smiled.

Once Harry was finished taking in the sights, he looked to Elsa and asked, "So now what?"

Elsa looked to the side as she said, "We go over to that blue sign. I was told we could find someone to help us with our luggage there." Elsa then heard a hoot and her eyes widened as she now noticed a beautiful snowy white owl in a cage on Harry's cart.

"That owl is beautiful!" she exclaimed as they made their way to the sign. She guessed she didn't notice it earlier because she was focused on other things instead. It could also be there were some kind of charms placed on owl cages that activated once they were in King's Cross and deactivated once they were on platform Nine and three Quarters.

Harry gave a smile to his owl. "She was a birthday gift to me from a giant of a man named Hagrid who works at Hogwarts. Her name's, Hedwig."

"That's a pretty name. Did you get it from our History of Magic book by chance?" Elsa asked as she looked to Hedwig. The owl had a certain level of intelligence that few others had. The closest match she could think of were the ones she got herself and Anna.

Harry nodded and looked to her owl. "You have a wonderful owl as well. What's its name?"

Elsa's Great Horned Owl gave a hoot and seemed to puff up in pride at being mentioned finally. Elsa gave her owl a fond look as she said, "Hermod. I find it to be a very fitting name for him."

Harry looked to the owl in thought before he gave a look of understanding. "After the Norse Messenger of the gods?"

Elsa nodded and smiled in reply. Soon they were at the sign area and the line wasn't too bad. "How may I help you?" an attendant asked with a bored sigh.

"We were wondering if you could help us with our trunks, sir," Elsa said. The man looked up and blinked in surprise. Usually those who used the service were rather full of themselves. His eyes then widened as he got sight of the boy standing next to the girl.

His mouth hung open and the boy seemed to sigh as he tried to smooth out his hair to hide the scar. "Are… Are… Are you… The Harry Potter?!" The attendant asked. Elsa raised an eyebrow in confusion and looked between the two questioningly.

Harry hated this attention, but at the same time he was happy to see Elsa's face. She seemed to be confused by the attendant's expression. She didn't know it, but her reaction told him she didn't know his tales and still seemed to like him. It was a huge relief to him and he decided he wanted to have her as a friend for sure. He was determined to start a new life at Hogwarts.

Harry gave a sigh and decided to get it over with already. "Yes, I am. Can you help me and my friend, Elsa, with our luggage?"

He wanted to get this over with and hoped Elsa didn't mind him calling her a friend already. The girl looked him over and smiled. Harry felt relieved. " _Maybe there is hope for me in this world after all,_ " he thought to himself and was further certain of his decision.

{-} {-} {-}

Fortunately, the attendant recovered from his shock and quickly helped Harry and Elsa with their luggage. He placed the owls with several other pets in cages and explained they would be treated well and put in the owlery at Hogwarts for them on arrival. He even made sure to tell them they could visit them whenever they wanted during their free time at Hogwarts.

Currently Elsa and Harry where in a compartment alone, that changed as the door slid open and a boy with bright red hair entered. "Oh ummm… Sorry I didn't know this one was taken too… Is there any room for me? All of the others I've seen are too full already."

Harry looked to Elsa and soon gave a smile as he saw no complaint from her. He turned to the other boy and said, "There is still some room in here…. If you want."

The boy looked to Elsa as well just to be extra sure. Elsa gave a small nod, "I don't mind."

The new boy gave a big grin to that and sat down on the seat across from them. "Hi," he started. "I'm Ron Weasley. Who are you two?"

"I'm Elsa Evergreen. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." The crown princess replied politely. She offered her hand and Ron shook it. Elsa had been used to court etiquette. There the other person would have knelt down and softly kissed her hand. This was something very different and she didn't really mind it.

"I'm Harry Potter," Harry replied.

Ron's mouth opened in surprise. Harry was about to sigh, but Ron's response caught him off guard. "Wicked… Do you have the scar?"

Harry actually smiled. Something about Ron's tone made him feel more at ease. This was probably because Ron's first reaction was to see the scar instead of standing there in some form of awe at his name. Harry gave a chuckle and lifted his hair to show his scar. Ron was in awe of it for a few seconds before he seemed to recover. This didn't really bother Harry cause lots of people liked looking at scars.

Ron was actually surprised by Elsa's indifference to being around Harry Potter. He figured the two knew each other for a really long time already or something like that. Once he was finished looking at Harry's scar, the three quickly started talking about all kinds of things.

"So, I know this is going to sound odd, but I was raised by muggles so I don't know much. How famous is Hogwarts really?" Harry asked after a while.

Ron was puzzled for a bit, but he seemed to recover faster this time. "It's probably one of the most famous schools for magic in the world," Ron replied.

"I would hope so. Even where I'm from they say it's the best. I'm really excited to be going to study there," Elsa said with a smile. She was going to get to study something that wasn't how to curtsy the proper way or the finer details of international contractual business negotiation. She had learned a little from Vitus, but now she was going to learn how to use a wand instead of just her own powers.

"You mean you aren't from some old long established magic family?" Harry asked in surprise. He had thought she was one of those old wizarding families like that Malfoy kid. Elsa however, was much more pleasant company compared to that blonde git.

"Not exactly…" Elsa replied.

"What do you mean?" Ron asked as he looked her in the eyes curiously.

"Well it seems that magic runs in my family and has for a really long time, but for some reason it doesn't always appear in members of the family," Elsa explained.

Harry seemed to nod to this. Ron seemed to be thinking about something before nodding as well. They might have asked for more details, but at that moment they heard a knock on their compartment door as it opened and a lady stood in the hall with a trolley full of sweets. "Would you dearies like anything to eat?"

Elsa immediately looked at the chocolate frogs and her mouth began to water a little. She was lucky her companions didn't seem to notice her reaction. She looked to the others after quickly wiping her mouth with her sleeve.

"No thanks… I have sandwiches…" Ron said in a disheartened voice as he looked at the many treats forlornly.

Elsa wondered about this, but figured it might be a money issue with his family. She knew many had such problems in some manner. She was about to buy a few that she would share without going overboard with it and inadvertently making Ron and possibly Harry feel bad.

She was beat to the punch by Harry. Except… "We'll take the whole lot!" He didn't seem to really know how to handle such a situation with finesse.

Ron it seemed didn't really care. Elsa wondered if maybe he just didn't dwell on the matter for now because of all the treats in front of them. Speaking of which… Elsa eyed a chocolate frog.

Harry seemed to take notice and gave a chuckle. He was happy to have something he could share with his friends. He didn't expect Elsa to be so seemingly into chocolate though. She helped herself to several chocolate frogs and some other chocolate candies as well. Her big bright smile while she figured where to start at the presently, probably not for long, unopened chocolate was a sight to see he thought.

Harry opened his first treat. He picked up a frog. To his surprise, the frog seemed to come to life and hopped around for a bit. He finally tried to grab it, but was too late as it jumped out the window. Ron gave a good-natured laugh to this. Harry soon followed. Elsa… well Elsa seemed to be upset.

"I don't get it. That really isn't fair… All of that delicious chocolate and it jumps about and out windows… I swear whatever maniac came up with chocolate frogs must have hated everyone or something. Its pure torture." Elsa frowned and pointedly ignored the small snickers Harry and Ron gave her reaction. They just didn't understand the glory that is chocolate. She would possibly educate them on such issues, or not. If it meant more for her then it didn't matter how little they knew of its glory.

She opened her own chocolate frog and was ready to catch it right off the bat. It almost slipped from her grasp, but when she wanted chocolate she got her chocolate. Anna was the same way. One of the maids always jokingly called them Arendelle's chocolate goblins.

Now that she had met actual Goblins, the nick name made more sense than the maid knew it did. Elsa would admit she and her sister were very much Goblin-like when it came to chocolate. At the moment, she didn't really see a problem with that. Chocolate was that good.

As Elsa ate her chocolate, Ron was telling them all about the collectable magic cards that came with the candies. He seemed to be very much the adamant collector of them. Elsa curiously looked at her card and gave a thoughtful hum. "Well, Ron. You can mark one of those two off." She then handed him the card.

Ron blinked at her owlishly. He then took the card and he gave a wide smile before then looking at her with narrowed eyes. "You aren't going to ask for it back are you?"

Elsa gave him a frown. "I don't plan on going back on my word. I have no interest in these cards apart from the fact they come with chocolate." She was about to then admonish him for saying she would do such a thing, but the way he smiled and thanked her caused her to forgive him… this time.

"Well Ptomley… I have you now!" He then gave an almost maniacal cackle as he placed it in a bag of his. If he wasn't an eleven-year-old boy with a smudge of dirt on his nose, he might have actually been just a tiniest bit scary with that laugh. Since he was just a boy, it was actually kind of funny.

Elsa gave a giggle as Harry seemed to comically inch a little further away from Ron. Elsa had decided she was already having more fun than she had ever had in a long time. Well apart from all the time she spent with Anna. Nothing was ever boring or unfun with Anna. Maybe some of the times she was with Kristoff were close in comparison.

{-} {-} {-}

The train ride was actually going rather smoothly. Elsa, Harry and Ron had a lot to talk about, even if it was mostly Ron answering questions about the magical world. Ron seemed to love telling all he could about it and their conversation jumped from topic to topic.

"So Hogwarts is a boarding school. What are the different houses like, Ron?" Elsa asked.

"There's four them total. Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Slytherin…" Ron didn't hide his disgust about the last house at all.

"Ravenclaw is mostly for the bookworms. We still haven't figured out how Percy didn't end up there being a Prefect and all. Anyways, Gryffindor is for the brave! I hope I end up there, but I'm sure I will. There hasn't been a Weasley who went to Hogwarts that didn't end up in Gryffindor," Ron said that part with pride.

Elsa decided going to Gryffindor must be seen as some kind of family legacy to Ron. She wasn't really sure why joining a particular house was something to be proud of really. She decided maybe there was something more to it and asked, "How is it decided which house you end up joining?"

Ron gave a puzzled frown here. "I'm not actually sure. I pestered everyone in my family about it but they all said it was something I would just have to experience for myself. Well... Fred and George went on about there being some kind of test, but I'm sure they were joking. They always joke and somehow I doubt we would actually have to wrestle a mountain troll in naught but our small clothes to get into Gryffindor…" Ron gave a frown to this as Elsa and Harry both laughed.

"Yah… Yah… laugh it up, but they were actually very convincing of it at the time…" Harry and Elsa paused for a second before they both laughed louder. Ron frowned deeper but then shook his head and joined them. It was kind of funny in hindsight.

"The truth is I don't think anyone really knows until their first day of school. It seems like something parents don't tell their kids," Ron said.

"What about the other two?" Harry asked.

"Oh yeah. Well there's Hufflepuff. It's supposed to be about loyalty and all, but it's usually where leftovers end up going who don't belong to any of the other houses. Still it's better than rotten Slytherin. That's where all the dark witches and wizards usually come from… That's where you-know-who was," Ron gave a shiver at the end.

"You mean Voldemort?" Harry asked with a frown of disappointment it seemed. He really thought this whole 'You-know-who' business was stupid. It was just a name and nothing else.

Ron almost seemed to panic at the mention of the name before grimacing. "Don't say his name… Bad things happen if you say it out loud too much."

"Ummm…. Who's Voldemort?" Elsa asked. She hated that she didn't know the answer to something so seemingly important.

Ron blinked at her and stared before he turned a little pale and seemed to gather the courage to tell her. "He was this really really bad and evil wizard. He was really powerful as well. He almost ended up taking over all of magical Britain." He might have made a bigger deal about her not knowing this, but over the trip he had come to better understand just how new his two friends were to the wizarding world. Plus, he liked being the one with the answers for once in his life.

"Hagrid told me a little about him. It sounded really bad, but I mean it is just a name," Harry replied.

They might have continued their conversation some more or at least changed topics, but the sliding door to their compartment opened rather forcefully. In the door frame stood the most massive and bushiest hair any of them had ever seen, there was also a girl seemingly attached to the hair. She cleared her throat in the way a disapproving Headmistress or old librarian would before reprimanding a child.

"Excuse me," she said in a somewhat bossy sounding voice. "Have either of you three seen a toad around here? Neville…" she paused and drew their attention to a brown haired boy with large ears standing nervously next to her. "Has lost his toad, Trevor."

All three of them took a moment to regain their focus before Elsa answered, "No… We haven't…"

The Girl rolled her eyes and sighed as she said, "We've been all over the train and no one has been helpful."

"I wonder why…" Ron muttered to himself. It seemed the girl heard him though and frowned at him. Ron felt a little like he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar by a school teacher. It was rather amazing he felt this way. After spending all of his life around his mom and Ginny, no one else could even come close to making him feel this way. Yet this mass of hair with girl attached managed it. He might have been a little impressed.

However, the girl seemed to have turned angry as she got up close to him and asked, "Excuse me? What was that you said? You wonder why?" She asked. Ron wasn't sure if he should try to hide or get angrier in return. He settled for a half frown and half angry face.

Elsa decided to speak. She didn't like this girl and the way this girl was treating one of her new friends. She wanted to get really angry, but instead settled for using her "Queen mode". It was more effective than just getting angry.

She stood up tall and said calmly in her 'Queen voice'. "I think he was referring to your poor manner… You opened our compartment door without even a knock and then you ask in a rather unbecoming and demanding manner if we have seen Neville's toad. After that you rudely go on about how no one is helpful before then getting in his face."

The girl seemed to lose her steam and seemed a little nervous as she turned to face Elsa properly. Elsa gave a slight frown to the girl as a slight chill filled the air and said, "You didn't even show us the decency of giving your name."

The girl seemed to slump a little as she said quietly, "My name is Hermione Granger…. I'm sorry… I didn't mean…" she didn't know what to say. There was something about this other girl's demeanor that commanded respect.

Elsa gave a sigh and the small chill seemed to vanish instantly. "Well, Hermione. If this is how you've been asking for people's help, it's no wonder they haven't been very cooperative."

Hermione gave a small pout and said, "I tried to be nice at first, but several of the others laughed at Neville for having a pet toad…"

"They told me to just leave it alone and hope it dies so I can have a proper pet next year… Trevor was given to me by my Great Uncle Algie as a preset for entering Hogwarts. Hermione here actually offered to help right after I mentioned he was lost," Neville said in Hermione's defense.

Elsa, Harry and Ron couldn't really bring themselves to be upset with Hermione after that. Harry looked to Elsa first and the young princess seemed to kind of understand what he was about to do and nodded. He then looked to Ron, who seemed a little confused until Harry tilted his head at the other two. Ron's eyes widened in comprehension and he gave a thoughtful look for a second before nodding as well.

Harry turned to Hermione and Neville with a smile and said, "Well… We can help you look if you want." He didn't really seem to capture the courage and confidence he briefly felt after getting confirmation from both Elsa and Ron. He did get the point across though.

His perceived lack of confidence didn't really seem to matter in the end. Hermione and Neville looked to each other with amazement in their eyes before smiling. "We would really appreciate that… Ummm sorry I didn't get your names…" Hermione replied.

Elsa blushed for only a second as she admonished herself for not introducing herself sooner. " _Just after I told her off for not minding her manners as well… Anna would probably giggle at this situation,_ " Elsa thought to herself.

"I'm Elsa Evergreen," she gave a small curtsy out of habit and mentally cringed a little. It was far too formal of an introduction for this situation. " _Stupid Queen training… I shouldn't be doing this automatically…_ " Elsa thought in annoyance at her actions and hoped the others wouldn't question.

Hermione seemed to blush and quickly returned the curtsy. " _I can't believe I didn't think to properly introduce myself like that... wait… this doesn't really require a curtsy here… does it? Things must be even more different in the magical world._ "

Harry, Ron and Neville gave puzzling looks and all three thought, " _Girls really can be weird…_ "

Ron cleared his throat and both girls quickly returned to standing up with good posture. Well Elsa at least had really good posture. "I'm Ron Weasley. Ummm sorry for earlier… I guess?"

Hermione just gave a small smile in return. Ron decided she didn't really seem that bad when she smiled instead of being bossy like she was earlier.

"And I'm Harry Potter," said boy answered. Harry surprisingly wasn't as shocked by Neville's and Hermione's responses to hearing his name. He showed them the scar and more or less pointed out he didn't remember much about how he got it. Hermione and Neville decided not to press the issue. Hermione wanted to, but decided against it because she felt she needed to make up for her earlier behavior, especially with Elsa there for some reason.

{-} {-} {-}

After they finally got back on track, they started their search from the front once again. Harry also hadn't really realized just what he was getting himself into when he offered to help look for Trevor. He quickly got used to all of the gawks and speechless people when he said his name or they saw his scar. He decided it was worth everything helping out like this. He was starting to think he might actually make a couple of new friends with Hermione and Neville as well, since he seemed to be on a bit of a role.

Harry oddly already felt a bit of a connection to Elsa, Ron, Hermione, and Neville. It was like they all were similar in some way. He guessed they weren't the type used to having a lot of friends and really wanted to make some for school quickly. They probably also wanted fresh starts.

Hermione, he discovered wasn't too bad when she wasn't being bossy and she had only gotten that way out of frustration while trying to help. He guessed she might have had things a little tough in school before due to her hair and that probably caused her some grief from the others. Maybe she came off as bossy at times as a way to keep others back or to leave her alone.

Neville seemed to be very nervous, but at times there were hints that there was something more to him. It was just something hidden deep behind several layers of nerves and clumsiness. It was there though. The boy managed to stand up to Elsa earlier even with how she was. Harry had admitted at that moment he hoped to never deserve such treatment from Elsa.

Ron's position was easier to understand. He was from a large family and the second youngest. He had a younger sister, but he was the baby brother in the family. He probably didn't know many people apart from his family and he was always just one of the Weasley family boys. Harry still thought that would be better than being a 'freak', but he's heard it is tough being young in such a family.

Elsa, Harry wasn't so sure about. She hadn't said too much about her family, but she had mentioned a younger sister when they were talking earlier. There was still something about her that he couldn't fully understand and hoped he one day would. It probably would explain her own eagerness to make friends. It wasn't like a girl like her would naturally grab some strange kid's hand and offer help so quickly otherwise, even if he was grateful she did.

The search for Trevor seemed to be going faster this time. With the five of them, in particular Elsa, the other students were helpfulish. They at least weren't being mean about Trevor this time and usually replied simply and quickly. Probably because instead of just facing two first years it was five of them and Elsa had a certain natural presence to her.

Eventually the group made their way to a compartment where they heard a lot of laughter. When they opened the door, they saw two boys who looked completely identical to each other talking to a dark skinned boy with dreadlocks. Harry and Elsa noticed Ron give a sigh and immediately they figured the twins were his brothers Fred and George.

"Hey Fred, George, and Lee," Ron started knowing what was probably going to come as a response.

"Awww… if it isn't ickle Ronnikins." One twin started not bothering to look to the door.

"I wonder if he got lost looking for the toilet. What do you think, Fred? Little firsties always do get lost you know. That's why they have that toilet ghoul that snatches them up and throws them all the way to Hogwarts," the other twin added.

"Isn't that how Hufflepuffs get put into their house?" Lee asked barely containing a laugh.

"Shhh…. Don't tell the secret. We already told Ron too much about the Mountain Troll wrestling test for Gryffindor," The first twin said before all three broke out in a laugh.

Ron rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah… funny…"

"We know we're funny you don't have to remind us," Fred said

Hermione took in a breath and spoke calmly, "As entertaining as I'm sure you three are, we actually were wondering if you would be so kind as to help us with something."

"Hear that George? Sounds like Ron got more than just himself lost," Fred snickered. It was obvious they really weren't in a helping mood at the moment.

Elsa gave a sigh and assumed her 'Queen Mode' again. She figured it would take more than just polite manners to get this trio's attention. Unknowingly to her, a very light and barely noticeable chilly mist came from her hands and landed on the ground. It gave the trio of jokers a slight shiver, and got their attention.

The trio actually seemed surprised to see five first years together in a group like this already now that they weren't just cracking jokes. Elsa spoke up, "Our friend Neville lost his pet toad, Trevor. We would appreciate it if you could tell us if you've seen him somewhere on the train." Now that she had their attention, there wasn't really any reason not to be a little polite.

Fred and George smirked as they both pulled out their wands and said together, "Accio Trevor the Toad!" Lee seemed like he was eagerly trying to contain himself while he waited for something to happen.

Seconds after the twins used their spell a large and unmistakable toad flew into the compartment and hovered right out of Neville's grasp. The five pairs of wide eyes were looking at the hovering toad in amazement.

"If you want him you're going to have to grab him, Neville," Fred said. Neville slowly reached out and grabbed the toad with his hands.

The five first years stood there staring in disbelief. Neville kind of wondered why no one else thought to do that. Ron wished he had thought to just ask Percy to do that earlier when they met him while searching the train. Elsa, Harry, and Hermione all three stared in awe at the magic they just saw.

Lee Jordan finally couldn't hold his laughter anymore and broke out in a small fit. "Oh man… that was great! You aren't going to forget their faces either are you Fred and George. Right?" He gave another laugh.

"You know, George. It seems helping people can sometimes be just as funny as pulling pranks," Fred said.

"I think you're right, Fred. Still not quite as satisfying though," George said. The twins nodded to each other and the five first years finally got their act together.

"Thank you for help Fred and George," Elsa said. Fred and George blinked at this. It was weird being thanked for something for once. They weren't sure what to make of it. When the other four first years thanked them as well, the twins and Lee were flabbergasted as the group left.

"Hey, Fred..."

"Yeah, George?"

"What just happened?" Fred asked.

"I'm not sure… I think somehow we just received enough good karma to offset everything we've done or something," George replied.

"What does it mean?" Lee asked.

Fred and George smirked together and answered, "It means we have a lot of work to do, Lee!"

"Yep! If we don't get back into the negative category soon than everything will be off balance," George added.

"And then Percy will start cloning himself and take over the world and ruin the good name that is Weasley in the process," Fred added.

Lee gave a sage nod and added with a smirk, "This is truly a world ending problem." They all nodded sagely before Lee spoke again. "So about the secret passage I found at the end of last term, but forgot to mention that day due to miss pink shirt…."

{-} {-} {-}

The group of new friends made their way back with a toad in tow to the compartment Elsa and Harry first found. It was getting close to time to change for school as they piled into the small room. Well only three of them needed to change. Hermione and Neville were already in their uniforms before they began the search.

Elsa looked at her uniform and posed a little in it to see how the thing fit again. It was very different wearing such clothes for her. She wasn't too upset by it, but she did kind of wish her robes were blue instead of black.

"It looks good on you," Hermione said standing guard by the door to the compartment.

"Thanks. I just wish the robes were more colorful. I'm not a fan of all black," Elsa replied.

"I guess it changes once we get a house. The older students already dressed had different colors on their robes and emblems," Hermione said.

"I didn't really notice that," Elsa said a little disappointed in herself. She could at least say it was because she was focused on finding Trevor, but as Queen she will have to notice this stuff regardless.

"What do you think the test is going to be like?" Hermione asked, seeming a little nervous. "Do you think we'll have to use magic?"

"I wouldn't think so. It's not like everyone can just practice before hand. I guess Ron and Neville could, but you, Harry and I can't really," Elsa replied.

Technically she did with Vitus and to an extent the trolls, but she didn't practice any wand magic. She probably could have in her private room, but accidents could happen and they couldn't just always get it fixed and no one notice. Elsa did of course study the books all she could, but there was no way she could use magic practically yet apart from her ice powers. She could do a lot with them and given her training probably be seen as dangerous with them, but that wasn't Hogwarts magic.

"What house do you think you'll be in?" Hermione asked.

"I don't really know. Ron told Harry and me about them briefly, but I have a feeling he was a bit biased in his explanation." Elsa gave a giggle at the way he went on about Gryffindor.

Hermione looked like she was about to say something, but then they heard Ron's voice from the other side of the door. "Are you done yet, Elsa? You know we have to change as well right?"

Hermione gave a little blush because earlier she had rather forcefully moved Harry, Ron and Neville outside. She did so Elsa could have privacy while changing. The three boys were wondering how one girl managed to push all of them out while they waited.

"Sorry about that. I'm finished now," Elsa replied as Hermione stepped to the side and let them in.

"About time too. Girls always take forever to change clothes," Ron said with a resigned sigh.

Hermione was about to say something, but Elsa kind of tugged/dragged her out of the compartment for Harry and Ron to change. Neville just waited outside holding Trevor since he didn't need to change. He gave a smile to them when the door closed.

"It looks nice on you, Elsa," he said with a smile. Elsa blushed a little. She was used to servants and nobles giving her compliments, but it was different getting them from someone who didn't know she was the Crown Princess of a rather prosperous nation and that person was a boy as well. Hermione's compliment just seemed natural.

"Thanks, Neville," She replied.

"So what house do you two think you'll be in?" he asked.

"We were just discussing that before we stepped out here. I want to be in Gryffindor. I hear Dumbledore was in it when he attended as a student," Hermione said with a bit of a dreamy expression.

Elsa figured it made sense the bushy haired girl would have this kind of reaction. Hermione seemed like the type that loved teachers and everything they stood for in life. Someone as esteemed as Dumbledore would be an idol to her. Elsa wondered what the man was really like.

She wasn't about to put too much faith in what people claimed he was like, because of how Harry was treated by others. They didn't know him at all and acted as if he was some kind of god among men. Elsa wouldn't say she knew Harry really well, they had just become friends today, but she could already tell these people didn't know or care for Harry Potter the boy too much. It might be the same with Dumbledore.

"I'm not sure what house I'll be in. I guess I could see myself in Ravenclaw or maybe Gryffindor," Elsa said. She was pretty sure the fact she had so far survived her Queen training, and more impressively stayed awake during accounting classes, made her fit firmly in the 'Bookworm' category. Plus, she did like to read during her free time every so often and could get a slight bit carried away.

"I guess I could end up in Ravenclaw as well," said Hermione with a thoughtful expression.

"I-I want to be in Gryffindor. My parents were in Gryffindor and the whole Longbottom Family is proud of them. They were Aurors and caught a lot of You-know-who's people back in the war," Neville sounded extremely proud compared to how he had been all day so far.

Hermione frowned as she asked, "What do we do if we don't all end up in the same house?" She blushed thinking maybe she was being a bit presumptuous seeing them as friends like that.

Elsa frowned but then gave a determined nod, "Is there some law or rule that says you can't be friends with people outside of your house?"

To the three kid's surprise, it was Ron who answered. "Not really. It isn't typical, but it's possible. Percy talked a lot about some friends he had in Ravenclaw and everyone knows Fred and George I'll bet. Plus Charlie, one of my older brothers, hung out with both Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs quite a bit. Bill joked about how only Hufflepuffs would be loyal enough to follow Charlie on some of his adventures."

He frowned when he noticed three eyes blinking at him. His cheeks turned red and he said, "I uhh overheard you three through the door. We're ummm finished."

Hermione raised an eyebrow and said, "Well we can see that." Neville and Harry, who was behind Ron, gave a snicker as the red head's cheeks turned redder.

Hermione then cleared her throat lightly as she said, "We just didn't expect you would answer the question is all." Ron's face seemed to slowly return to its natural color.

{-} {-} {-}

Hermione and Neville ended up staying the rest of the train ride in the compartment. It was a bit cramped, but none of them seemed to really care. Neville and Ron were taking turns talking about a sport called Quidditch. Harry was overwhelmed a little by this, but he was catching on to the excitement Ron and Neville had for it.

Hermione and Elsa were actually sharing a book together. Elsa brought a couple from home with her for the ride and it turned out one of them was a rare edition. Elsa wasn't surprised, she was from a royal family after all, but she didn't realize how knowledgeable Hermione was about book editions. She also didn't realize how excited the girl would be to see one. Elsa actually found it cute in a way. She liked the idea of having a friend that knew about books.

Their peace and quiet was soon interrupted when the compartment door opened and revealed three boys. Two of them were large for their age and flanked a smaller boy with blonde hair and an aura that just oozed stuck up noble brat to Elsa. She narrowed her eyes at him a little but he didn't seem to notice as he spoke.

"I was wondering if what I had heard was true. I had heard Harry Potter was on this train. I guess I should have known it was you from the robe shop," the blonde boy said in a full of himself, but kind of polite manner.

He then made introductions, "This is Crabbe and Goyle. I'm Draco Malfoy but you already knew that."

Harry frowned as he immediately recognized Draco Malfoy. He wasn't really sure what to do here. He was about to say something, but it seemed Ron had something to say first.

"Go away, Malfoy! It's none of your business where Harry is," Ron said not at all hiding his hatred for the blonde boy. It was a deep running hatred that was only matched by Draco's hate in return.

"It's obvious who you are. Second rate everything and that hair; well it seems that your family really broke the bank on you this time…. Weasley," Draco said through a sneer. Ron growled in reply.

He then turned to Neville who wore a neutral expression. Malfoy then said with less venom, "If it isn't the Longbottom kid… I suppose you aren't a total disappointment to your family after all."

He then turned to Harry again mostly ignoring Hermione and sparing a slight glance of interest at Elsa, but it was obvious he had a clear goal he was after here. "You'll soon learn some Wizarding families are better than others, Harry. I can help you there." He then offered a hand in friendship, but his tone said what he thought of the others. Harry didn't immediately respond.

Draco wasn't happy with this, but he was going to hold strong. His father told him to approach Harry Potter. He decided to maybe turn to the females in the room instead, but then locked eyes with Elsa and it actually caused him to feel a little chill in his body.

Elsa then spoke to him in her Queen voice, "It is rather foolish to behave in such a manner when you first meet others. Do you not know?"

Draco stood up straighter and frowned at her. "I don't even know who you are. How dare you tell me how to behave." Draco was about to say something else, but Elsa beat him to the punch.

"Exactly. You don't know who I am. Nor do you know who my friend here is either." She pointed to Hermione who seemed a bit nervous. Elsa mentally sighed. Hermione's nervousness wasn't helping with what she was trying to do here.

"For all you know, the two of us could be the daughters of powerful Foreign Dignitaries coming to attend Hogwarts. And you have already made a fool of yourself and your family with the disgusting display of improper etiquette you have performed," she said.

Malfoy blinked a few times in thought. He wasn't sure how to proceed here. He made a list of all the movers and shakers his father had taught him about. He couldn't really recall anyone with daughters who fit a description matching the two in front of him. The blonde girl at least had the air of someone of importance, but he didn't know who she was.

Crabbe decided to ask a simple question in his dumb voice, "Are you two?"

Elsa decided to give up. Ron was about to probably shout something about Malfoy being brought down a peg or two. This would ruin everything if he did. "I'm not saying that we are. I am merely pointing out that he conducted himself in a poor manner without even establishing who was all in his presence. It doesn't matter how Ron here behaved." Ron frowned at her, but didn't say anything. She might perhaps be right he thought, even if it was bloody Malfoy they were talking about.

Malfoy seemed to regain his earlier arrogance and spoke again, "I'll have you know miss… Whoever you are. I am Draco, heir to the Nobel and Pure House of Malfoy."

"Then you should be extra careful how you behave in public. Such a family will always be under strict scrutiny by others," Elsa said.

Malfoy was about to retort, but Harry decided he didn't like where this was possibly going. He spoke up in a slightly cool voice, "Thank you, Malfoy. But I think I can determine for myself who the better wizarding families are."

Malfoy glared at him for a moment and then turned to Elsa as his bodyguards Crabbe and Goyle cracked their knuckles trying to be intimidating, but it didn't seem it was working on everyone in the compartment like it should. The young pure blood heir turned his nose up. "Come Crabbe. Goyle. Let's not waste or time on these peasants."

Elsa's eyes narrowed a little more at him. She manageg to control herself the best she could. She hated the word peasants. The lower classes were important in any country. They were the main work force and military force. They should be respected.

She also really hated being called such a name. She wanted to shout at him and say, " _Bow before me. I am Elsa of Arendelle, Crown Princess you arrogant prick. Your father would disown you for such a slight._ " She knew he would quickly change his tune then. She knew her family was in a position to really hurt the Malfoy family and their wealth due to business accounts, dealings and holdings and such.

However, doing such a thing was unbecoming of the future ruler of Arendelle. Also, she didn't want to get lectured by her parents for exposing herself when she hadn't even made it to school. Still, she couldn't wait to see how he would react when he learned who she really was in the future. She might be over reacting here, but he had insulted the people she was trying to make friends with and ruined there fun trip.

She huffed as she sat back down as Ron gave Harry a high five for shutting out Malfoy. Neville was relieved to have not been completely afraid in front of Malfoy. That was a huge accomplishment for him. Hermione looked at Elsa with curiosity at the way she told off the Malfoy kid.

Ron then gave a laugh and said, "Then Elsa over here. Oh that was Great! The way you told him off like that. I'm half convinced you might actually be some Foreign Dignitary's daughter after all."

Elsa nodded and then as a bit of a knee jerk reaction to try and cover her unintentional tracks asked, "Soo…. Who are the Malfoy family anyways?"

Ron, Harry, Neville and Hermione all looked at her with their jaws dropped. Neville spoke first, "You really don't know who they are?"

Elsa gave a smile and answered, "Nope. I'm sorry but I don't. I just thought I would act like one of those noble women from fantasy books."

Hermione sighed to this. Ron recovered and gave a laugh, "Bloody brilliant, Elsa!" Hermione shook her head a little but gave a snicker. Harry and Neville soon joined as well.

Ron recovered first and answered her question, "They're this old wizarding family that's really super rich. Everyone knows they're all dark and were in You-Know-Who's inner circle. But they always buy their way out of trouble and there was never any 'clear cut evidence' they were dark." Ron glared at the floor in place of Draco.

Neville continued, "They knew how to connect themselves to all of the right people in the Ministry. And even when the war against the Death Eaters happened, they knew how to cover their own tracks. They claimed they were under the Imperious Curse. It's a forbidden curse that lets a dark wizard control others."

Ron gave a scoff and added, "It's all a lie really. They were completely aware of what they were doing. If they didn't have their money, there was no way they would have been let off the hook like they were."

He then muttered, "Stinking Malfoys and their stupid money…"

Harry seemed to have heard his words and shuffled a little uncomfortably. Elsa wondered why that made him uncomfortable. She guessed it was something to do with earlier when he bought them all of those treats. She was wondering if he was someone who only recently discovered he was wealthy or something. It would explain why he so easily bought those sweets, but wore clothes that obviously didn't fit him.

The mood in their compartment was a little down after the discussion about the Malfoys. It was surprisingly Hermione who ended up breaking up the atmosphere. Hermione gave a giggle and said, "I guess I could call my parents Dignitaries of Dental Wood Forest. That's what they call their business."

The others looked to her for a moment before they started to laugh at her joke. Hermione smiled to this. She really liked how Hogwarts was working out for her already and they hadn't even arrived yet.

(-)

Bonus Scene:

"It's stupid to fear a name… No matter whom this Voldemort was," Elsa said with a frown.

Ron turned red and looked at both her and Harry. "No, it's stupid not to be afraid of You-Know-Who's name! You two are mental."

Elsa's icy blue eyes narrowed and a small chill filled the air as she said, "No… It's mental to be so fearful!" She had really taken the troll's warning about fear being her enemy to heart and they were right. A Crown Princess should never show fear or let it control her.

Harry was looking between the two a little fearful that he might have to stop whatever was going on, but he didn't know how or if he could. He could feel a chill in the air as the two faced each other, despite how they were getting along fairly well earlier.

As if to save him from a horrible fate, the door to the compartment slid open with force as a mass of hair seemingly strangling a girl cleared its throat. Ron and Elsa turned to the newcomer glaring daggers at her and the girl shivered. "I'm guessing this is a bad time…" Ron and Elsa kept staring. "Ummmmm… Sorry… I'll go…" She then gave a nervous laugh and closed the door.

Elsa and Ron blinked and seemed to come back to their senses and looked to each other and each raised an eyebrow to the other in question. They both shrugged and sat back down. "Hey… look here." Ron said as he handed Elsa a chocolate frog. "It isn't really much, but take it as thanks for the card earlier, Elsa."

Elsa nodded and smiled as she took the treat. Harry was close to mentioning that it wasn't really Ron's frog to give in the first place, but decided it was wiser to just be glad the tension had lifted along with the chill.

As Hermione stepped away from the compartment, she was wondering if she had just somehow stepped into the middle of some magical wandless duel. She caught her breath as a boy came up to her and asked, "Any luck?"

"No. Sorry they hadn't seen Trevor, Neville." She then marched to the next compartment.

" _Wow… the magical world is really intense… I mean first years already using wandless magic?! None of the books said that was possible. But there isn't any other explanation for that chill,_ " she thought to herself as the search for Trevor continued.

A/N: I couldn't help it. I had this alternate scene stuck in my head and thought it funny. I also didn't think it fit in the story properly either.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: The Arrival and a Talkative Hat

Soon after Hermione lifted the atmosphere in their compartment, they heard the train whistle blow. Ron gave a big smile and looked out the window quickly. He frowned a little bit because it was dark outside and hard to see.

"You can't see it…. Why do I ever trust Fred and George with anything," Ron said with a small huff.

"What did they say you could see?" Elsa asked.

"They said you could see the town below Hogwarts when the train blew it's whistle on the way there," he answered.

Neville then looked out the window and gave a smile. "You can see it but barely. It's just the lights of the buildings."

"Let me see!" Ron said as he found a way to look outside from Neville's point of view along with the other boy.

Harry seemed a little nervous and excited as did Hermione. Elsa felt the same way as the train kept moving, but she appeared perfectly calm. She wondered what the school was like. She wondered if there would be a lot of people like Malfoy at the school. She wondered what house she would be in. She also wondered what her classes would be like.

The train soon came to a stop and a voice spoke throughout the train. "We have arrived at Hogsmeade Station. Please disembark in a controlled and calm fashion. Leave your belongings on the train, they will be delivered to your room once you have been sorted into your house. I repeat…"

Harry and the others didn't bother to listen as it repeated. They eagerly climbed out of their compartment and were surprised to notice they had actually waited longer than most of the students. The corridor was already full of eager students ready to get off the train.

A few of them were carrying their trunks or trying to carry them. They were all first years as well. Most of the older students just laughed as they probably remembered doing the same thing their first time. An older girl with a black robe adorned with Blue and Bronze colors wearing a badge with the letter "P", was trying to talk over the crowd and tell the new students to leave their trunks.

Elsa was getting more excited and wishing she had left the compartment sooner so she could get off the train sooner. She noticed some older students were still relaxing in their compartments talking to each other. It was obvious they didn't care to get mixed up in the bustle to get off the train as fast as possible. They'd probably already been to Hogwarts enough that it was just normal for them and not exciting. Elsa kind of understood how that could be, but she didn't agree with that idea. There was no way a magic school was normal and not exciting.

Hermione was right behind Elsa and was surprised at how fast the girl seemed to be moving to get out. She was also a little upset that Elsa seemed to know how to maneuver through the crowd as she almost effortlessly glided between students and wasn't waiting for them. "Elsa! Wait up! Please?"

Elsa paused and blushed as she looked behind herself and realized she had left the others behind. She guessed all of those times she and Anna explored all of the castle secrets had automatically taught her how to squeeze in and out of tight fitting places. She was tempted to keep going, but decided to wait for the others. She did notice Harry seemed to be the first to catch up to her.

"How did you do that?" Ron asked. "I mean I know how you did it, but I've never really seen someone move like that through a crowd before and so easily."

Elsa gave a laugh, "Anna and I would go 'exploring' a lot and we made a habit of getting into small spaces. We thought that was where the most interesting things were always hidden."

Ron gave a nod. It made sense to him. He usually spent a lot of time with Ginny and she always found herself in the strangest of places while also finding cool things.

The five friends climbed out of the train finally and heard a gruff voice call out, "First 'ears over here. First 'ears right here."

"Hagrid!" Harry called in joy.

"Ya alright thar Harry?" Hagrid asked with a large grin. He then looked over to one of the first years and said, "Oi, you thar with tha trunk. Leave it with tha other four." The first year nodded and did just that. She blushed a little noticing no one else seemed to have brought out their trunk and a couple of older students laughed.

Hagrid shook his head and said quietly, "Always a few who don't listen 'bout their trunks."

A few minutes later Hagrid spoke again, "Alright. All ye first 'ears here now follow me. We go this way." He pointed to a set of piers with several boats waiting.

He then turned to Neville, "Oi. Make sure you got yer toad and don loose 'im in the lake." Neville nodded as he held on to Trevor. Some students laughed at him for having a toad, but Elsa actually kind of thought it cute the way he held onto the toad. She gave him a smile. Neville saw her smile and blushed a little. Elsa didn't understand why, but she guessed it was just because he was the shy type.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville and Elsa all five got into the largest boat with Hagrid towards the back. Harry was happy to see his friend again and chose to go with him because of that. Hagrid gave a big smile as he quietly said, "Looks like ye found yer self some friends already 'Arry. Good on you." Harry gave a smile as he looked ahead at the others.

Ron and Neville were both looking into the water with concentration. "Bill told me he actually saw the giant squid's eye when he took this ride his first year," Ron told the other boy as they both looked real hard.

"My gran told me my mum and dad both saw it give them a wave when they first arrived with four of its tentacles. My dad didn't stop talking about it for two years," Neville told Ron excitedly.

"Wicked..." Ron replied to that. Harry gave a laugh at the two and hoped they'd get to see this giant squid because that would be cool.

Hermione seemed to be a little pale hearing about the giant squid's tentacles for some reason. Elsa was looking forward to it and hoped to see the sea monster give them a wave. Ron leaned a little further as did a few others near them who over heard what he and Neville said, even Draco was looking into the water from his own boat.

"Oi… Be careful tha lota ya. The Squid ain't too happy if it has to rescue several of ya," Hagrid's gruff voice said. Almost everyone looking over the water made sure to be firmly in the boat as they kept looking.

Hagrid gave a low chuckle and said quietly so that only Harry and Elsa heard him, "Heh heh. Gets em every time. The squid don't mind. One year four students fell in to prove me wrong and she juggled them until we reached the end of the lake. Besides it's too shallow here for the squid."

Elsa gave a giggle while she placed a gloved hand over her mouth. Harry for some reason liked her reaction. He soon joined in her laugh as he imagined just how funny that would look, though he wasn't sure if he'd want to be one of the kids juggled.

Soon the boats entered a tunnel made by thick trees and vines with flowers. Elsa picked a flower from one of the vines and tucked it behind an ear as the boats continued. A girl on another boat looked and frowned slightly wishing she thought to do that first. However, it wasn't long until everyone's attention was forward as they were about to exit the tunnel.

Hagrid gave a smile as the boats left the tunnel. Many students gasped as they all looked at the majestic sight of the school in front of them. "Welcome ta Hogwarts!" Hagrid said aloud to all of the students.

Harry's eyes widened and he smiled as he looked at his new home. The Castle was on top of some flat rocks overlooking the lake. There were so many towers and spires everywhere. He saw lots of bridges and what looked like several courtyards with all kinds of halls.

Elsa's blue eyes widened as she saw the castle before her. It was much larger than Arendelle Castle. It looked like you could fit two or maybe three Arendelle castles inside it. That was saying something because her family's home was a really large and good-sized castle, though she did have to admit from the looks of it her Palace seemed like it would be more inviting and homey. regardless, she couldn't wait to explore this place during her free time. She owed it to Anna. As the co-founder of the Elsanna Exploration Society, she must get to know this new place the best she could.

Hagrid gave a friendly gruff chuckle as he looked over all of the new students. This was one of the things he loved the most about his job at Hogwarts. He liked getting to be a part of most everyone's first time seeing Hogwarts, even those from the richest and oldest wizarding families were completely impressed by the sight.

The boats finally landed on the shore of the lake just below the castle. Hagrid and the first years made their way to the Entrance Hall. The grand double doors opened as a female figure with a pointy hat stood in the light. "Got ye the first 'ears here Professor McGonagall. None of them fell in this time though a couple almost did." Some of the first years laughed to what he said.

McGonagall gave a stern look as she said, "I would certainly hope not. It wouldn't do well for someone to fall in the lake on their first night at Hogwarts." The ones laughing immediately stood a little straighter and went silent. There was something about this woman that made them want to behave their best.

Elsa followed the others in standing more at attention and even took the flower out of her hair. She had a few instructors like this in her Queen training classes and they were no nonsense teachers. They were usually good and caring individuals deep down, but it was always best to behave for them the best you could.

She had experienced what happened if you weren't well behaved. It wasn't pretty. " _So many lines…_ " she thought to herself with a shiver. She had warned Anna about this as well. Anna hadn't listened to her the first time and found out the hard way what happened. Still, they were usually very good at their subjects and you could learn a lot from them and Elsa wanted to learn all she could about magic.

Professor McGonagall looked over the lot of students and then said to them, "Follow me then." They did just that as they entered the Entrance Hall. She turned around and spoke again, "You are about to be sorted into your houses. Your house will essentially be your family while you are here at Hogwarts. Your triumphs along with your failures will reflect on your house." Several kids started to get nervous a little including both Hermione and Harry.

McGonagall continued, "We have four houses here and each house has a Teacher assigned as the head of the house. I am the Head of Gryffindor as well as the Deputy Headmistress for Hogwarts and Transfiguration Professor."

"The houses are, as I'm sure you have heard by now," she spoke with a hint of disapproval at such things like gossip. "Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. Now wait here until you are called to enter the Great Hall behind these doors," She finished and gave a bit of a smile as she added, "And Welcome to Hogwarts." She then left through the doors and closed them shut behind her.

{-} {-} {-}

It was only a couple of seconds after Professor McGonagall left that people started to whisper and it was obvious nerves were mounting among the students. Soon after, there was a loud shriek as a girl with blonde hair in pigtails shouted, "G-G-Ghosts!"

Several students were only momentarily confused until they soon saw many spectral figures enter through the walls. Elsa's mouth opened in shock along with Hermione's. Some of the students seemed to already know this would happen, but were still a little surprised by the sight. Elsa guessed they had older siblings who attended the school and heard about it beforehand.

The ghosts seemed to be talking to each other, but one stopped and said in a condescending tone. "What are you kids doing in here? The feast is inside not out here."

A different ghost that seemed to be a friar spoke next, "I believe these are the new students, my friend."

The first ghost seemed to give them a look over as he said, "Doesn't it seem like they keep getting smaller and smaller every year?"

The friar ghost gave a light-hearted chuckle, "Maybe. Maybe… It could also be that they are just the same as always but small compared to everyone else."

The first ghost gave a nod and vanished through a different wall. The friar ghost turned to the students and gave a warm and friendly smile as he said, "Welcome to Hogwarts. I hope to see some of you in Hufflepuff!" He then proceeded through the same wall as the other ghosts.

Soon after the ghostly parade finished, they heard McGonagall's voice seemingly through the walls. "Enter in a single file line." The doors then opened and everyone did as she demanded. They didn't want to upset her.

As Harry and the others entered the Great Hall, their mouths again hung open as they looked up to the ceiling. Except it wasn't a ceiling. It looked exactly like the night sky outside the castle.

"It's enchanted to look like outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History," Hermione said to anyone near enough to hear. Elsa gave a nod and smile of wonderment as she looked up to the sky.

The ceiling reminded her of home a little bit. The difference was their ceiling looked that way because of the windows and it wasn't as complete as this one was. Their ceiling looked a little like stars thanks to her magic some nights, but it wasn't as accurate as this sky ceiling was. Elsa gave a sigh. Thinking about the ceiling like this made her once again remember that horrible night where she almost lost her sister.

Her thoughts might have drifted into darker places, but at about that time she noticed the students already sitting down get quiet. The oldest, ugliest, and most worn hat she'd ever seen was placed on a stool in the center of the raised floor area close to the staff table. She briefly toyed with the idea of the wizarding world actually being a group of hat cultists with the way they showed so much reverence to such a thing.

Her eyes once again widened as she heard the thing talk and then start a song. She couldn't make out what it said precisely, but she figured that this hat was what sorted them into their different houses. She had no idea how that worked, but she was extremely fascinated by this concept.

Professor McGonagall spoke again, "When your name is called please take a seat on the stool and the hat will be placed on your head. It will then decide the house where you belong."

She took a breath and then called, "Hannah Abbott." The blonde girl with pigtails squeaked and then ran up to the stool and quickly placed the hat on her head. It slid down and covered her whole head. Soon after it was placed on her head, the hat said, "Hufflepuff!" The girl then ran to a table where several students wearing an insignia with a badger superimposed on a yellow and black background were enthusiastically clapping for her.

Elsa thought this interesting. The house was known as the place where "All the rest were dumped," but badger's weren't animals you wanted to mess with. Some of them would take on large animals fearlessly and even gave human hunters pause. It was quite the choice for a house that the leftovers were placed into as far as Elsa was concerned.

Several names were called up and Elsa picked up on a few of them. She noticed as Terry Boot, a boy of average looks and height, was placed in Ravenclaw. After him, there was another boy named Michael Corner and he joined Terry Boot. Elsa had to admit she kind of liked the blue and bronze and the Eagle.

Vincent Crabbe and Millicent Bulstrode became Slytherins. When she heard Crabbe became a Slytherin she knew that was the house Malfoy and Goyle would go to as well. It was all she needed to realize that was not a house she wanted to be in. She didn't even need to see their house symbol was a snake with green and silver to have an idea what they were like in general.

A girl with long red hair called Susan Bones became the next Hufflepuff and she quickly sat down beside Hannah with a blush at the welcome she received. Lavender Brown, a girl with plenty of accessories and curly long light brown hair became the first Gryffindor. The table with red and gold colors along with a golden Griffin insignia gave a loud applause and cheer as the now blushing girl sat down at the table.

Elsa's nerves returned when it was closer to her name being called. She wondered where she would end up staying. She was okay with Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Gryffindor. She just did not want to be in Slytherin. She didn't want Malfoy to in anyway be family to her, even if only in the broadest sense. She also didn't like the feel the Serpent's house gave off either.

"Elsa Evergreen" her name was called and she gave a gulp and looked to Hermione and the others. It looked like Harry and Hermione were both a little nervous for her as well. She gave them a smile as she made her way to the front. She made extra effort to hold her Queenly posture as she made the short but long journey. " _I'm the Crown Princess of Arendelle… I shouldn't feel this nervous just to put on an old ragged hat,_ " she told herself in an attempt to calm down. It wasn't really working well.

Elsa sat on the stool with perfect posture as the hat was placed on her head and slipped over her eyes. She took in a deep calming breath. This had to happen one way or the other. She felt some kind of sensation run through her body and soon heard a voice in her head.

"Well well… You are indeed the first interesting one tonight…" Fortunately, or maybe not fortunately the voice sounded like the hat's voice. "But where to put you? It is indeed rare to have someone of the royal Arendelle bloodline visit this school."

" _I guess I shouldn't be surprised you would know that about me,_ " Elsa thought not expecting a response.

The hat gave a chuckle, "Indeed not. By the way I am not ragged thank you very much. I have character which has built up over ages."

" _You can hear my thoughts?"_ Elsa thought.

"Yes, I can hear your thoughts. There isn't much I can't see in a witch's or wizard's mind. No matter how shielded it may be. It is my esteemed duty to place each student in the correct house," the hat answered.

"Tell me, Elsa 'Evergreen'? What do you think of the houses?" it asked her.

Elsa was surprised to hear this. She thought on it nonetheless. " _I don't want to go into Slytherin. I have to put up with enough people like that in court or at functions. Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad._ "

The hat gave a chuckle and interrupted her, "You could make a good fit there. Not many eleven year olds can take accounting classes and not fall asleep, nor can they handle all of the Royal Training you have already taken. It doesn't matter if you needed to take such classes as a measure to control your elemental powers."

Elsa's eyes widened at this. She could have sworn the hat was grinning at her as it said, "I know all about your powers, Elsa. I have met some of your ancestors long long ago. I also know not to divulge that information to anyone, so don't worry. But continue with your thoughts on the houses."

Elsa did as asked. She didn't see why not to answer the hat. " _I feel like Hufflepuff is underestimated. Even if it is 'The house for all of the rest' that isn't necessarily a bad thing. It means it potentially has the most diverse group of students and personalities. They are supposed to be loyal and hard working, but apart from that they can easily be as different from each other as Night and Day._ "

Elsa took in a breath as she answered about Gryffindor. " _Gryffindor is the house for the brave, but they seem a bit rowdier than I would like. Bravery is good, but often times if it isn't tempered it can lead to needless competition to show said bravery. In Arendelle, the bravest of soldiers have to usually be taught to control that side of them to some degree. Honestly my sister would probably be a better fit for that house than me._ "

The hat seemed to smile widely as she continued, " _As for Ravenclaw… I can see myself fitting in there to a degree at least. I do love to learn and knowledge is both important and dangerous. Very dangerous if it is the only thing you seek in your life. Still, I do kind of like how it sounds and well… The color scheme…_ " Elsa finished and blushed as the hat gave another chuckle.

"Yes, as I said you are interesting… What would you do if you were separated from the friends you already made? And don't lie. Remember I know all," it said.

Elsa gave a scoff, " _If you know all then you already know the answer to that. I will still try to be their friend. It doesn't matter what house they are in, they are still who they are._ "

The hat laughed a little louder this time. "With a mind like that it would be a waste to place you anywhere else apart from RAVENCLAW!" It shouted out loud and the Eagle's table cheered in response.

As Elsa moved to take the hat off, she heard it say one last sentence, "Remember what you said about your friends and don't judge others too quickly. A Queen should know that."

She took the hat off of her head and thought on its final words as she made her way to the Ravenclaw table. She gave her friends a smile that said, "It doesn't matter. We will still be friends." The smile seemed to relax them all as they waited their turn.

Elsa sat down next to a girl who looked a year older than her. The girl was oriental and had long silky black hair. The girl gave a friendly smile and said, "Welcome to Ravenclaw, Elsa Evergreen. I'm a second year and my name is Cho Chang. Hopefully we'll get along."

Elsa gave a smile in return and said politely, "That will be entirely up to you. I hope we will though. It's a pleasure to meet you." Cho nodded to her as several other students welcomed Elsa in turn.

{-} {-} {-}

The sorting finished with Blaze Zabini becoming a Slytherin. Elsa was a little sad all of her friends somehow ended up in Gryffindor. She was sure Hermione would follow her to Ravenclaw. The sorting hat seemed to have taken a long time with her, but ultimately placed her in Gryffindor. Neville ended up there as well and was so relieved he forgot to take the hat off until after he reached the table. Ron became one as well and his brothers all greeted him in their own brotherly way.

Elsa found Harry Potter's sorting to be interesting as well. He had taken about as long as her or maybe even a little longer. It was also a little annoying how the hall got quiet when his name was mentioned and everyone kept whispering among themselves as he walked up to the stool. When he was placed in Gryffindor as well, the other houses seemed to begrudgingly clap as the Lions Cheered and hollered even louder as if they had just won some kind of jackpot.

Elsa hated seeing him treated like that. He wasn't at all used to such attention. It didn't matter what had happened to him in the past, he was still just a fairly normal eleven year old like the rest of them as far as she knew. The Crown Princess started wondering if there was anything she could do to help him with the way he was treated by others.

"Hard to think The Harry Potter is in our year. I mean like really… Who would have thought? Too bad he isn't in our house," Terry Boot said from nearby as he filled his plate with some food.

Elsa gave a look over to the table and distractedly said, "Yeah… too bad…" She knew her reasons for thinking so were different from Terry's, but she did really wish one of her new friends were in her house.

Terry Boot looked to her and blushed a little as he asked, "So... ummm… what did the hat tell you?" He was trying to make conversation.

Cho Chang frowned at him and said in serious tone, "What the hat says is for that person to know and not anyone else."

Terry looked down in shame at her words. He guessed she was right, but he was just trying to get to know the others. Elsa looked to them and gave a thoughtful look as she said, "I won't go into particulars, but he more or less said I could have been in any house, but ultimately decided I was best placed here." Cho gave a half frown at how Elsa so openly spoke about such a personal matter.

Terry gave a thankful smile and a laugh, "It didn't really take long for him to place me. He said with my brain and eagerness to learn there wasn't anywhere else I could reach my full potential, I'm Terry Boot by the way. Though I guess you know that if you listened to the sorting…"

Elsa gave a smile as she introduced herself, "I'm Elsa Evergreen. Nice to meet you, Terry." She might as well get along with her house mates if nothing else. Maybe she could find some friends here as well.

"I'm Padma Patil…" a girl on the other side of Elsa spoke quietly. "Nice to meet you both."

Terry smiled to her and Elsa did too. Terry spoke, "Your sister's in Gryffindor. Right?"

She gave a nod and said quietly, "Yes, Parvati's always been the loud one. A good sister and her heart is in the right place, but she doesn't always do things the right or smart way…" She then looked down and focused on eating.

Elsa thought this strange, but guessed the girl was shy and on the quiet side of things. Elsa looked over to the other tables again and in particular to Hermione. The bushy haired girl met her eyes and then looked down as if she was ashamed of something and sad. Elsa sighed and unintentionally spoke what was on her mind, "I wonder why Hermione was put in Gryffindor…"

Cho looked over to the other girl and then back to Elsa and asked, "Is she a friend of yours?"

Elsa gave a nod, "I just met her on the train, but she loved books and seemed to be very smart as well." Elsa then gave a smile as she added, "If I was really competitive I would be watching out for her."

Padma and Michael, who had remained quiet, seemed to take Elsa's advice. Cho gave a small frown and said, "You do need to realize she is a lion now and you are an eagle." Cho spoke as if this was something very important.

Elsa looked to her and asked, "I do, but I don't see why that is an issue. I can still be her friend, and make friends in Ravenclaw. Even if I was super competitive, I would see her as a rival, but as a friendly rival. Truthfully, I don't really care much about that stuff. I just want to learn as much as I can about magic and do my best in classes." She ended with a smile as she looked forward to her classes.

Cho seemed to think on this for a bit and it seemed like something had clicked in her mind. She gave a nod and ate some more of her food. Mariette Edgecombe, another Ravenclaw who was sitting next to Cho, spoke up, "What does it matter? Why would you consider her a rival? She's in Gryffindor… not Ravenclaw… It's clear she can't be that smart."

Elsa turned to her and asked, "What does _that_ have to do with her intelligence?" Elsa may have come off a little more aggressive than she wished.

"Well I mean if she was really that smart she would be here, wouldn't she?" Mariette asked puzzled.

Elsa jerked her head away and served herself up some food as she said, "It's foolish to think just because someone is in one house they don't have any other traits from different houses. Besides look at Fred and George, the red headed twins, they were able to easily cast a spell on the train. I think it was Accio or something like that."

A handsome boy that looked to be in his third year dropped his fork as he looked to her in disbelief. "Wait a minute… Are you sure?" Elsa nodded. "Man… What the hell? We aren't supposed to learn that spell until next year… What did they summon with it?"

"They summoned a toad with it," she wasn't sure what that had to do with anything.

The handsome boy gave a growl as he said, "Damn them… I mean come on…. They're the school clowns…. I guess I shouldn't really be surprised. They aren't serious about studies, but their smart in their own way." He gave a sigh and then looked determined as he decided to study even more and look ahead a year.

"So, they used a fourth-year spell when they haven't even started their third year, Roger?" Cho asked in amazement. Roger just nodded. Cho seemed to have decided something else after hearing that.

Mariette seemed to be a little depressed. She wanted to make a good impression with her new housemates and show how they were the smartest and best house. Elsa thought about rubbing in how wrong she was by mentioning Dumbledore himself was a Gryffindor in school, but decided against it. She didn't want her house to hate her already.

Elsa looked to the dejected girl and said, "It's okay that you thought differently. Just remember to never count something out just because of preconceptions alone." Maybe she was being a little too lecturing and she would work on that. Maybe she should think more on the hat's final words.

Mariette gave a weak smile in return and went back to eating her meal. It was true now that she thought about it. A true researcher would never discount anything until they proved it should be discounted. She grew a little more determined to do her best in school. She wanted to be a magic researcher when she was older. Her more lofty goal was to be not just a magic researcher but an Unspeakable. It was the one position in the ministry that didn't care much about your upbringing but instead cared about your talent.

{-} {-} {-}

The meal finally ended and the students left the great hall. "First years over here!" A voice called to them all. They walked over to the girl who called them. She was a good bit older and wore a shiny badge with the letter "P" on it.

The girl gave a welcoming smile as she said, "Congratulations on being selected for Ravenclaw. I'm Penelope Clearwater. I'm a Prefect. My job is to help younger students and enforce the rules. Our Head of House is Professor Flitwick, he teaches charms classes and is a world-renowned duelist champion."

The collective of first years made sounds of being impressed which was the effect she wanted. "Follow me to our tower. Each house is located in a different part of the castle and each has a different way of getting into the common room. Some use passwords, but we do things a little differently," Penelope said with a smirk.

It didn't take them too long to reach the entrance to their house. They were all standing outside a wall with only a knocker on it. "Every time you will use the knocker to enter the house and you must answer a question or riddle. Naturally just a simple answer will never be correct. Usually you have to also explain your reasoning as well."

Penelope gave a smile and used the knocker. A voice then spoke, "What is a dance that best describes life?"

The Prefect looked to the gathered first years and asked, "Anyone want to prove just how much of a Ravenclaw they already are?"

The gathered group looked around and it was Elsa who stepped forward first. "Go ahead, Miss Evergreen," Penelope said with an amused smile.

Elsa stood in front of the door and answered, "An Endless Waltz."

"Why is that young one?" The door asked before Elsa could continue.

"The three beats of War, Peace and Revolution continue on and on forever," Elsa answered. She heard a couple of hums in thought to her answer.

"That is very interesting…. Very interesting… Let us hope the beat of peace will last the longest and for a good while yet." The knocker then warped into a door and opened into a well-lit hallway ending in an even brighter open room.

Penelope Clearwater gave Elsa an approving smile as they all entered the hall. She then spoke again, "Just like you saw. You will have to have an answer and an explanation as well. The door almost always asks the second question. That way it might throw people of lesser intelligence off. If you are ever stuck, you can be let in by a fellow Eagle, but you can't just simply wait and hope for the same question and answer it the same way they just did with the hope of not having to get someone else's help."

"So, we need to always have our wits about us?" asked Michael.

"Precisely!" Penelope answered cheerfully. She then turned to Elsa and said to her, "That was a very good answer you gave. I have a feeling you will do us proud, Miss Evergreen."

Elsa smiled to the praise, but it was only to be polite. She didn't have anything against Penelope, in fact she kind of liked the older girl, but such things weren't on her mind. Elsa knew it would be something encouraging for any other Ravenclaw to hear. However, the crown princess honestly didn't care if she made 'Ravenclaw proud' or not. She just wanted to learn a lot and enjoy her time with her friends.

She only hoped they would still be her friends. She would still try to be their friend, but she wasn't sure how they would react to her being in Ravenclaw and thus technically a rival. She was also wondering just what Hermione's look at dinner really meant. Part of her thought maybe she should be angry, like she was betrayed somehow. She would have to find the bushy haired girl and the others sometime soon and sort things out with them.

She might have thought more on the subject, but Penelope called for the first-year girls to follow her to their dorm room. "There are five of you in the same year and your dorm room will always be the same for your years of study here at Hogwarts. The sign will change to reflect your school year, but it will always be the same room."

They went up three flights of stairs in silence. Each of the five girls were excited and nervous to see their new room. They finally came to a door with an old but ornate wooden sign on it which read, "First Year Girls Dorm: Amanda "Mandy" Brocklehurst, Elsa Evergreen, Morag MacDougal, Padma Patil and Lisa Turpin."

Penelope opened the door and motioned for them to enter. The other girls gasped in awe as they looked the room over and smiled. Elsa thought it was on the small side, but she supposed it was roomy enough. She had to realize here she wasn't a crown princess living in a palace, but instead a regular student. This room would seem large and grand unless you were from a very wealthy family with a lavish lifestyle. Elsa figured those types would probably end up in Slytherin if such things were most important to them.

Elsa started inspecting the room like the other girls. She was more serene in her inspection rather than really excited like the others. She was unaware as Penelope watched her with some interest. " _There is definitely something different about Miss Evergreen…_ " the prefect thought to herself.

The Prefect soon gave a light laugh as one of the girls jumped on one of the beds claiming it as her's. Soon the others did the same; Elsa however took the last one without complaint. It was the one she was closest to and probably the one with the bit of a chill being next to the window. It didn't really matter when it came to sleeping in the end, because each beds' curtains were enchanted to keep out any chill.

Penelope came over to Elsa with a smile and said, "Be careful in the mornings, Elsa." Elsa looked up to her with questioning eyes. "Each room has at least one 'cold' bed nearest to the window. The curtains keep it from bothering you, but in the mornings, it can be a bit of a sudden awakening."

Elsa gave a thoughtful look before extending some fingers as if she was feeling the air flow or something in the room. Penelope thought this interesting, because it wasn't really something one could usually trace.

Elsa gave a small smile and a nod as she said, "Well I've never really been all that bothered by the cold anyways, so I guess it works out for the best. Besides, a sudden awakening in the mornings would simply encourage me to get on with my day sooner."

"If you put it that way, then I guess it might be seen as the 'best' spot by some," Penelope said with a smile. She turned and got the attention of the other girls and spoke again, "Okay you five, there are a couple of rules I must go over. First of all. Boys aren't allowed in the Girl's dormitories and there are spells in place to prevent them from using the stairs. The only exceptions to this rule is Professor Flitwick or a male Prefect in an emergency. However… There really aren't protections preventing girls from entering the Boy's side." A couple of the girls snickered to this.

Penelope gave them a look as she continued, "However, being caught in the Boy's dorm will result in harsh punishment." The two snickering girls gulped. Penelope gave them a nod and carried on with the rules, "Curfew is at 9 PM Sunday night through Thursday night. Curfew is extended to 11 PM Fridays and Saturdays. You must be in Ravenclaw tower by Curfew unless you have official approval or reason to be out later during the night. Wednesdays for your midnight Astronomy classes are an example of this."

She looked to make sure they were paying attention to her as she continued, "You are not allowed to leave the House Common room until 6 AM. Breakfast is first served at 6:30 AM and stops at 8:30 AM and is usually fairly lax. But for tomorrow only, breakfast is from 7 to 8. Classes first start at 9 in the morning each school day and you will be given your schedule tomorrow at breakfast. You must be there at 7 regardless of your usual preferences. You can leave once you are finished to give yourself extra time to find your first class."

The girls nodded and all took notes mental or otherwise of her words. Penelope gave a smile thinking this group of first years was going to do their house proud. "I do recommend you have a quick breakfast tomorrow and use the extra time to get to your classes until you learn your way around the castle. It would probably also be best if you used your breaks between classes for that same reason until you know your way around better."

She took in a deep breath and asked, "Any Questions?"

She was relieved to see there weren't any questions from the first years. "Once again welcome to Hogwarts and congratulations on being sorted into Ravenclaw! Goodnight."

The first years gave her a chorus of goodnights in return as she left their dorm. As soon as she left, she made her way to her own bed as she unsuccessfully stifled a yawn and stretched. It was hard work being a Perfect. She was so very glad she didn't have patrol duty tonight. She felt sorry for her boyfriend because he did have that duty tonight.

{-} {-} {-}

"Well. Now that's she's gone. Let's get to the introductions. After all we didn't all sit next to each other at the feast," Morag said in her Irish accent. "My name's Morag MacDougal. My ma and da were muggleborns and more or less ditched the whole muggle side and loved being in the magic world despite everything." She then looked towards the others for who would speak next.

"I'm Lisa Turpin. My parents come from long pure blood lines, but they've always liked muggle things and really enjoy meeting muggleborns and helping them with the magical world, if they get the opportunity. Fortunately, the sorting hat didn't put me in Slytherin. They don't really like my family, but usually keep their distance. I also have three younger brothers who are five years old and triplets," Lisa said as the others listened in shock at her words.

Elsa didn't know it, but pure bloods having such a big family was unheard of for the most part. The Weasleys were actually well known because of how big their pure blood family was. Also, they all did have bright flaming red hair. Elsa was really shocked to hear the girl had triplets for brothers. She gave a mental shudder at that thought. Her brain gave her an image of life with three little Annas running around. She loved her younger sister, but that was too many trouble making yet adorable siblings to keep track of in life.

"My name's Amanda Brocklehurst, but I go by Mandy! My dad's a muggle and my mom's a witch." Mandy gave a giggle before saying, "My mom always goes on about how my dad thought her being a witch was 'wicked' cool. She really likes his lame humor like that. She and I both like muggle fashions and I really want to either start my own business that brings muggle fashion to the wizarding world in the right way or help with muggle and wizard relations in some manner. I mean they have like all of the really cute boys." She gave a blush and giggled again. She was one of the girls that had to be warned off about going to the guy's side earlier. The other one was Lisa.

"My name's Padma Patil. I have a twin sister called Parvati in Gryffindor. She's the outgoing one. My family's from India but Parvati and I pretty much grew up in the London area. We go back a bit during summer because my dad still has businesses there," Padma spoke rather quietly as she went back to just watching the others.

"I'm Elsa Evergreen. Magic has been in my family for a really long time, but it doesn't always awaken. We kind of call it the gift. I love to explore and learn. My favorite subject is usually History. I have a younger sister named Anna, but it doesn't look like she has the gift." Elsa then gave a giggle as she added, "The Sorting Hat could have put me in any house, but once it saw I had taken Accounting lessons and stayed awake it said Ravenclaw was the best place for me."

Mandy actually hummed in thought and said, "I've also had a little accounting recently. Since I always kept going on about how I wanted to run my own business, my dad challenged me to take up accounting and try his taxes next year saying it would be a good skill to have when I first started out." She gave a bit of a pout as she added, "I found out later it was one of his lame dad jokes, but he was too shocked to say anything about it when I had mom get me an accounting book to practice with."

Lisa then gave a thoughtful frown and said, "I've actually taken some lessons as well… My parents always go on about how important it is for pure bloods to know such things. Me especially since I'm the oldest. You know in case well…" she trailed off towards the end. Elsa didn't comment on it and the others knew what she meant.

"I've actually learned it as well. My parents had both me and Parvati start lessons, because my dad thinks it isn't wise to have someone else handle all of that unless you at the least look over everything and know what the numbers mean. Parvati fell asleep quickly during the first lesson and they stopped her after that," Padma answered again quietly.

Morag gave a laugh that had a slight bit of unease in it as she said, "Maybe it's some kind of optional requirement for Ravenclaw?" Elsa noted that Morag didn't say if she had taken such classes or not. The crown princess still laughed at the idea and the others soon followed suit. She would have to use that reason for her ending up in Ravenclaw more often it was kind of funny and fun to her.

"So, who's up for a game of Exploding Snap?" Morag asked with a mischievous grin.

"What's Exploding Snap?" Elsa couldn't help but ask.

Morag's grin grew as she said, "Oh we have to teach you now, Miss Evergreen!"

Elsa gave a smile as she said, "Well I do love learning."

She knew she was probably getting herself into trouble here and was definitely going to lose a lot of rounds of Exploding Snap. She kind of hated how no one ever actually told someone new to a game completely how it worked. They would always 'forget' certain rules until said rules were in their favor. Morag's grin that was at least half friendly told the princess she was in for a long streak of loses.

Elsa then gave a smile as she said, "I guess I'll just have to watch a couple of games before I play one myself." She felt a bit satisfied when Morag's grin half faltered before returning but not as wide.

Mandy then volunteered to go first while saying, "My mom's actually a part of the Casuals' League and when she gets together with friends they play while us kids either watch or play our own rounds. It was another thing my dad thinks is wicked cool and... 'explosive fun'." Mandy's dad earned a few groans from that.

Morag didn't seem to have the mischievousness in her grin anymore, but she was still really happy and eager to play the game and looked forward to Elsa's reactions. It was always fun seeing people's first reactions to the game. Elsa was really excited about her first night in Hogwarts and the magical world while learning a magic game too.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Starting the School Year with a Meeting

Elsa gave a frown as she sat up in her bed and sighed once again. She was excited last night when she heard they didn't have to worry about breakfast until 7am and that was the first thing they had to do for the day. She thought this meant she would be able to sleep in for once in a really long time.

In the end, it didn't matter that they didn't eat until 7am. Her Queen training had forced her to get up at 4:00 AM sometimes and most times she was up at 4:30 AM at the latest as she had to get ready for the day and have breakfast by 5:00 AM. She would start her first lessons at 5:30 AM and continue until lunch with an occasional short 15 minute break here and there. Then after lunch she would spend most of the afternoon with more classes and learning to control her powers.

It wasn't until late afternoon she would finally be finished and had free time. Most of her free time she spent with Anna and that meant playing a game of some kind that required a lot of energy that she didn't always have depending on how the day went. Usually she got ready for bed right after supper and then would spend a little time either reading or writing in her journal before finally falling asleep.

So because of all of this she was now lying awake early in the morning in her bed staring up at the ceiling wondering what she would do with all of the free time she would now have at school. " _That's easy… exploring,_ " she thought to herself. This was a good plan and one she had made, but what was she to do early in the mornings. She guessed in the future she could read her school books if she found a good light source. At this time though, she wasn't sure where to even start with those if she did read them.

Elsa gave a stretch and another yawn. She decided she would look out her window. She figured it would be a little strange to see a first year up and about in the common room at this time on the first day of school. She pulled the curtains to her bed to the side quietly as she stepped out barefoot on to the floor. She could feel the flows of the room and knew that yes this would be really cold for most people, but she wasn't most people. Her elemental powers gave her an immunity to the cold.

At the same time, it was good she wasn't weaker towards heat or something like that. She even knew once she was in more control of her power she could actually make herself seem somewhat immune to fire as well. It was more due to her powers and the ways she would be able to manipulate the elements than an actual immunity though.

Elsa's breath caught as she looked outside the window next to her bed. Seeing the night sky covering the darkened grounds was a beautiful sight. Also if she angled herself just right she could see the moonlight reflect off of the lake. Really Ravenclaw had to have the best view of the area.

At dinner, Cho told them everything their common room view covered. Their common room had a view of the Quidditch Pitch, the Forbidden Forest, the Lake, the Herbology gardens and the surrounding mountains. Since the dorms were more or less kind of above the common room, each one had at least part of that view. Arendelle had wonderful views as well, and Elsa knew she was going to miss them, but these views were also nice and they were different.

Elsa gave a small gasp as she saw a giant tentacle breach the surface of the lake before slapping back down into it. She remembered Hagrid telling them about the giant squid, but seeing just one tentacle was enough to give her a better idea of how large it was. She had seen Humpback Whales back at her home, but this was a squid. She wondered what else lay in the depths of that lake. It had to be extremely deep for such a creature to call it a home even if it was magical itself.

The crown princess kept looking out the window waiting to see the sunrise. She wondered how nice it would be. She wasn't really sure which direction she was facing though. It wasn't like she was paying attention that specifically with everything else going on last night.

As time went by and she noticed shadows from the castle she realized they were facing the west. "Awww…. Can't see the sunrise from here…" she said to herself with a frown. She then gave a smile as she added, "At least that means the Sunsets will be amazing!"

"G-g-good then. I won't miss some spectacular view. It's a tad way too early…" a sleepy voice said as a head of disheveled auburn hair popped out between the curtains and the girl it was attached to gave a brief shiver.

"Morning, Morag," Elsa said with a smile. She then gave a quiet laugh as she added, "Sorry if I woke you up… I ended up waking up early and was so excited about the day I couldn't fall back asleep." It was partly true. She just left out the part of her also being used to waking up early.

"No worries. Just try to keep in mind we aren't all early risers in the future," Morag said as she got out fully and gave one more shiver before looking out the window with Elsa. "Aye it really is a beautiful sight."

Morag took in a few deep breaths as she looked out the window and took in sight. After a couple of minutes she said, "Well I best get going. There's a warm shower calling my name."

Elsa gave a giggle to that as the girl walked off to the restroom. Each Dorm room had one shared restroom. They had three showers/baths, three toilets, and three sinks in their restroom. Fortunately they each had their own bedside vanity/desk and wardrobe in the main room.

Elsa did have to admit she was a bit wary of sharing a restroom with four others not to mention it was a lot smaller than she was used to having. She would just have to get used to it. Hopefully they were kept really clean by whoever the staff was.

{-} {-} {-}

As the students ate their breakfast, the first years were surprised when several owls flew into the dining hall. It didn't matter if you were from a wizarding family it was still an impressive sight to see hundreds of owls fly into the hall. "Morning's Mail" an older student told Elsa and the others to clarify.

Elsa was further surprised when her owl flew down and landed gracefully on her shoulder and puffed up his feathers in pride. The Crown Princess gave him a smile as she stroked some of his feathers and said, "As always a good landing, Hermod." The owl gave a hoot as if to say she shouldn't have expected anything less from him.

She removed the letter tied to his leg and offered him a piece of bacon. He looked as if he was sniffing it for a moment before taking the whole strip with gusto. "Clearly the bacon here is Owl approved," said Terry Boot with a chuckle as he returned to his own breakfast.

Elsa opened the letter and read it to herself.

 _Dear Miss Evergreen,_

 _I wish to have a quick meeting with you before your first class today. There are some things we must go over. Fear not for my office isn't too far from where your first class is to be held. Professors McGonagall and Flitwick will be joining us as well. I am sure a bright Ravenclaw such as yourself can guess as to why we will be meeting. The password to my office is currently set to Fizzing Whizbee._

 _Directions to my office are as follows […]_

 _Yours Truly,_

 _Professor Dumbledore Headmaster of Hogwarts_

Elsa closed the letter after reading over the directions again and placed it in her pocket to dispose of later. She knew why they would be meeting and she already knew the head of her house would know who she really was. She also figured the Heads of Houses would be ready to deal with such knowledge or she at least hoped they would be. She still had to wonder if anyone here knew about her family's special gift apart from the Sorting Hat. She wasn't going to ask or even hint at it. That's how Grand Pabbie told her to handle it and she had come to really trust him and the other rock trolls over the years.

After all of the owls left, the heads of houses walked down the aisles handing out schedules to the students. Elsa took a break from eating breakfast to look it over.

 _Ravenclaw First year schedule:_

 _Monday_

 _1_ _st_ _period: History of Magic with Professor Binns_

 _2_ _nd_ _period: History of Magic with Professor Binns_

 _Lunch break_

 _3_ _rd_ _period: Herbology with Professor Sprout_

 _4_ _th_ _period: Herbology with Professor Sprout_

 _Tuesday_

 _1_ _st_ _period: Charms with Professor Flitwick_

 _2_ _nd_ _period:_ _Charms with Professor Flitwick_

 _Lunch break_

 _3_ _rd_ _period: Potions with Professor Snape_

 _4_ _th_ _period:_ _Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Quirrell_

 _Wednesday_

 _1st period: Transfiguration with professor McGonagall_

 _2nd period:_ _Herbology with Professor Sprout_

 _Lunch break_

 _3rd period:_ _History of Magic with Professor Binns_

 _4th period: Off due to Astronomy_

 _Midnight: Astronomy with Professor Sinistra_

 _Thursday_

 _1st period:_ _Potions with Professor Snape_

 _2nd period:_ _Potions with Professor Snape_

 _Lunch break_

 _3rd period:_ _Charms with Professor Flitwick_

 _3:30 PM instead of fourth period: Broomstick Flying with Madam Hooch (all classes)_

 _Friday_

 _1st period:_ _Transfiguration with professor McGonagall_

 _2nd period:_ _Transfiguration with professor McGonagall_

 _Lunch break_

 _3rd period:_ _Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Quirrell_

 _4th period: No classes_

Elsa looked it over a couple more times and had to again wonder what she would do with all of this free time even if the castle was vast she wouldn't be exploring it every day. This was a lot of extra time in her day she never had to deal with before. Homework wouldn't really make too much of a difference either most likely. She was excited about this and a little worried. Perhaps she would be able to better work on extra projects or something.

"So double History of Magic today. Huh…" Terry Boot said aloud as Michael Corner gave a nod while reading over the schedule himself.

"Ouch! Talk about having it rough your first day…" a fourth year student said next to them.

"I thought History of Magic would actually be interesting," Elsa said to the older student.

"Oh the subject is interesting, but Professor Binns has a talent of making the most exciting things extremely boring. The only thing interesting about that class here is the Professor himself and even that loses its novelty after a while," he replied to her with a knowing chuckle.

"What's so different about the Professor?" Padma asked.

"Oh you'll see soon enough. I wouldn't want to spoil the only cool thing about the class for you all." He gave them all a wink before returning to his breakfast. Elsa and the others gave him a frown as a couple of nearby students added their own chuckles to his.

Elsa looked up to the Professors' table as she finished eating her breakfast and noticed the headmaster had already excused himself. She was sure it wouldn't be long before the other two professors she was meeting with did the same. She took a few final bites and a few sips of her juice before excusing herself.

"There is something I need to take care of personally before looking for the History of Magic classroom. If you will all excuse me," she then left a confused group of students at the table. They were caught off guard by her proper manners. She didn't know two sets of eyes from the Gryffindor table were following her with concern as she left.

"What do we do about her?" Hermione asked Harry.

"We'll just have to find time to talk to her after classes or something. I meant it when I said I would still be her friend no matter what houses we all ended up in," he replied.

Ron took a quick break from eating to say, "Are you sure about that? I mean she's in Ravenclaw. We're like rivals and all of that for the House Cup and Quidditch."

Harry, Hermione and even Neville gave him looks. He cleared his throat and said, "I-I-I was just making sure you all realized that. I mean we can totally still be friends just not during Quidditch matches between our houses." He then quickly went back to eating.

The other three shook their heads at him briefly. Neville spoke up, "I would have tried for Ravenclaw to join her, but I'm not really that smart, you know."

He then looked to Hermione and asked, "How come you didn't end up there? I remember you saying on the train that's probably where you would end up going. Were you that excited to be in the same house as Professor Dumbledore was in his school days?"

Hermione looked down and huffed. "I actually asked the hat to put me there, but he said that while I could fit in there… He thought it better for me to be in Gryffindor. I asked him why and he only said 'It is my duty to know and yours to find out if you care to'. I argued a little more after that until he said, 'Well since you have the audacity to argue with an ancient and powerful artifact created by the very founders of Hogwarts! Clearly you can only go to the house of the courageous GRYFFINDOR!'," Hermione sighed. "I really wanted to be with a friend who also liked to read and really study. I've never had that kind of a friend before. No offense to you guys," she finished.

Harry and Neville both replied, "None taken." Ron made sounds that were similar enough to be understood as the same, but his mouth was full and he was really making good use of the refilling plates they had in front of them.

"I wonder if things would have been different if we went before her instead in the sorting." Harry wondered out loud.

"I'm not sure that would have really made a difference, Harry," Hermione said.

"I don't know. Elsa is definitely the type that can really get results when she wants. You saw for your selves on the train while looking for Trevor," Harry pointed out.

Neville gave a nod and said, "Well either way we'll make sure to meet with her again sometime and talk it over. I hope she doesn't feel like we kind of betrayed her or anything like that…" He gave a frown at his words and half wished he could have been smart enough for Ravenclaw. He was sure the only other house he could have been in was Hufflepuff and he didn't want to be in 'the leftovers house' no matter what.

The four Gryffindors finished their meal and got ready for their first class after dragging Ron from the table. They would meet with Elsa when they could, but they weren't sure when that would be since it was the first week of school.

{-} {-} {-}

Elsa looked at the statue of the gargoyle. She was about to say the password when it seemed to come alive and said to her in a stone like voice. "What's a student doing here bothering the esteemed Headmaster?"

After Elsa recovered from the shock, she wasn't sure why it surprised her really. She was friends with rock trolls so stone coming to life wasn't new to her. She looked at the gargoyle and calmly said, "I have an appointment with Headmaster Dumbledore."

The stone gargoyle looked like it was about to rebut her, but she then said, "Fizzing Whizbee." The thing was stone still again and then a spiral stair case descended to reveal the entrance to Professor Dumbledore's office. She straightened up and ascended the stairs until she came to a door and knocked.

The door opened and Professor Dumbledore gave her a bow and said, "Princess Elsa of Arendelle. I am honored you accepted my invitation. I am also honored to meet you in person."

Elsa was confused by his demeanor, but returned his greeting properly without exposing her confusion. "You gave me a formal invitation on an important matter. It wouldn't be right for me as Crown Princess to decline the invitation of such an esteemed man."

Dumbledore then offered her a comfy seat, which she took and sat down. He bowed again and sat in his own chair. She then said, "I do hope you don't wish to be quite so formal in such a setting, Headmaster Dumbledore. It feels unnatural to keep up such ceremony outside of situations which require it."

He let out a relieved sigh as he gave a friendly smile and said, "I'm grateful you feel the same way I do, Princess Elsa. I've never been one for such pomp. If you wish you may just call me Professor Dumbledore."

Elsa gave him a smile and a nod. "I would appreciate that Professor Dumbledore. In most cases, I hope you will think of me as a typical student since that is what I am."

Dumbledore gave a light chuckle and said, "You are far from a typical student. No student is truly typical, each one is unique in their own manner. You are even more unique than most. I have never had the chance to teach royalty in my life time. I'm thankful I can at least have such an esteemed guest visit the school I am gifted with presiding over as Headmaster."

"I suppose you do have a point there, Professor. I should have instead asked to be treated as a student in most cases as opposed to a Princess of Arendelle. As for not having taught royalty before, as far as the Royal Family of Arendelle is concerned the gift does not always surface. Sometimes when it does the one blessed with the gift does not receive it until they have already taken the throne properly. I'm sure I don't need to tell you why they wouldn't attend Hogwarts in such a case," Elsa said.

"Indeed you don't, Princess Elsa," Dumbledore replied with a smile. He then asked, "Out of curiosity, do you know if your younger sister has the gift?"

"She, like all females in the family line, is a carrier of the gift. However, she has as of yet to show any signs of having awakened the gift. So it is hard to say if she will or won't be attending Hogwarts in the future. She does still have two years before she would be eligible. Sadly, my own feelings do not have any say in if she will awaken the gift or not despite how I wish she would," Elsa said with a hard to read expression on her face, though he could tell due to her tone that she really cared for her younger sister.

Dumbledore's eyes looked her over as if trying to figure out her thoughts. He was pleased he could only see what she let show. He knew she had already started her Royal training and seemed to be pretty far into it. He figured that was why she was placed in Ravenclaw.

He was relieved he couldn't pick up anything else from her. There were things he knew were secretly going on in the world magical and otherwise. It was good to see such a powerful future leader wasn't currently compromised in anyway. He shuddered to think what someone like Lucius Malfoy or any of the other still at large Death Eaters could do with such power and that didn't even include anything about her as of yet unknown magic prowess.

"Ah, yes. Sibling bonds… It is far too unfortunate that we, as a whole, take such bonds for granted. You are wise to hold such a bond as precious," Professor Dumbledore said with a wain smile. " _If only I had cared for Ariana in such a way,_ " he thought to himself. Fortunately, he didn't expose his emotions to her apart from a desire that could be easily interrupted as him wishing for more people to care more for such bonds.

"I'm guessing you know why I wished to inform Professor Flitwick of who you really are as well. Am I correct?" he asked her. It was also a way to change the subject so he wouldn't have to go into further detail about their previous conversation.

She gave a nod, "Yes, I understand and figured this would be a possibility. I'm glad to see that you have only wished to add Professor Flitwick alone. I appreciate having as few people knowing I'm a Crown Princess as possible."

"Agreed. Apart from myself, Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick are the only other people who will know you are a princess unless you divulge the information yourself to others. I'm not saying many won't try to figure out all they can about you, but there are ancient and strong protections in place to keep such people ever looking into it. The curious will think of you as a mystery and try to figure it out, but something will always naturally turn them away from your secret if they get close. When they aren't at the school they will think it as something unimportant to bother with in the end. This school truly is an amazing place," Dumbledore finished with a hint of awe at Hogwarts. It still surprised him even to this day and he was thankful that was the case. It was refreshing for an old man such as himself.

Elsa was pleased to get the headmaster's thoughts on the subject. She had heard a lot from the Rock Trolls, but they didn't actually have first-hand experience with the magic protections. Magic really was amazing. The two might have talked a little longer, but there was a knock on the door. "It seems our two other guests are now here, your Highness. I fear you will have to yet endure more formality," Professor Dumbledore said with a warm smile.

The headmaster turned to the door and called, "You may enter." Once his words were said, the door opened and in came Professor McGonagall followed shortly by a slightly shocked looking Professor Flitwick. Professor McGonagall gave a very formal bow and took a seat next to Professor Dumbledore.

Professor Flitwick then gave as deep of a bow as he could and said, "It is an honor to have a member of the long and honorable Royal Family of Arendelle in my house. If there is anything I can do to help you, please feel free to let me know, Princess Elsa."

Elsa was deeply touched by his sincerity. She didn't show how touched because she had to keep her head on straight. It was just that Professor Flitwick was so tiny and she already liked him despite not really knowing him personally. He was a great man she could tell.

Both Dumbledore and McGonagall watched to see how Elsa responded to this situation. Elsa stood up gave a smile as she said, "Professor, you don't need to worry about such ceremony around me unless etiquette demands it. I may be a crown princess, but I am still a student in your house. I only wish for you to treat me as a student and to help keep my secret."

The headmaster and deputy head were both impressed with the calm and collected answer Elsa gave. She wasn't overly eager to get him to treat her as a regular student nor was she demanding of him keeping formalities. Professor McGonagall was impressed by Princess Elsa's actions. These actions showed the girl had a certain level of confidence and maturity. She didn't feel the need to flaunt her position and so she didn't. The Transfiguration teacher hoped the Crown Princess would handle her magic prowess in the same manner.

Professor Dumbledore figured Elsa would behave in such a manner from his earlier interaction, but it was still nice to see someone with such a position handling it in such a way. She was only eleven years old, but already had the makings of being a wonderful queen when she took the throne formally. He hoped that wouldn't change after her time at Hogwarts. Being around others her age would be trying in a way she had never experienced before now.

Professor Flitwick gave another bow and said, "I will try my best, Princess Elsa. I hope you don't mind that I will still nevertheless take a certain level of pride that I have royalty in my house." He gave her a smile which she returned.

Professor McGonagall spoke up next, "Is there anything else you require of us? Are your living accommodations to your liking? I am not aware if we have ever had royalty in our hallowed halls during my time here."

"The living accommodations are different from what I am used to by a quite a bit, but I believe they are suitable. My father and mother both want me to experience what it is like to be treated as just another young student during my time here. They and I both believe it will help in a way to keep me grounded so to speak. After all, if I were to be treated like royalty even here, it would be easier to lose sight of regular people and by extension my subjects in the future," Elsa spoke in a hopefully diplomatic and intelligent manner. Judging by the Professors' reactions she seemed successful. She was then dismissed as were both Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick.

While he was alone, Professor Dumbledore decided that he needed to remember that Princess Elsa was not to be always treated like a child. He also realized that he had to see her as more of an equal or even above him in certain circumstances despite her age. He started to wonder if maybe Harry might end up in the same category considering all he knew. He hoped not. Professor Dumbledore really wanted to treat Harry more like a child in the hopes that the boy could have as much of a normal childhood as possible. Dumbledore gave a sigh as he looked out a window in his office while in thought.

{-} {-} {-}

Elsa felt relief as she left the Headmaster's office. She didn't have anything against the professors, but she was glad to have that bit of her school life sorted. She hoped Professors McGonagall and Flitwick would keep their word and treat her like another student. She had no doubt Headmaster Dumbledore would. The man seemed adaptable and savvy like that. " _Probably because he's old and powerful,_ " Elsa thought to herself. She would see if this was a good thing or not as time went on.

Elsa quickly made her way to her first class. She was relieved it seemed she would make it on time with a few minutes to spare. She had a note for Professor Binns in case she was late, but she felt like she didn't need it. Professor Dumbledore knew the school really well and told her the fastest way to her first class.

The princess got there just as the queue of students in front of the classroom made their way inside. She was a little sad they seemed to have the class with Slytherin instead of Gryffindor. She was at least relieved that she was fairly sure Draco would be too busy surrounding himself with other Slytherins, so he probably wouldn't bother her in the class.

"Where were ya? You made rather short work of your breakfast after all," Morag asked as Elsa sat in the desk next to her.

Elsa gave her an apologetic smile as she said, "Sorry about that. I had to speak to the Headmaster about something. It was something I had to deal with because of where I'm from."

Morag would have asked what it was, but both of the girls were surprised when Draco for some reason decided to sit down next to Elsa. Both Ravenclaws looked towards the Slytherin with curiosity. "So, Miss Evergreen." He drawled sounding as if he was proud of himself for knowing her last name. "What will you do now that you don't have those others with you? Will you claim to be a dignitary's daughter now?"

Elsa sighed as she said, "I never said I was, Draco Malfoy. I merely said it wasn't wise to act in the manner you did. Especially, without knowing who everyone was and that you will always be under scrutiny because of your family's status, so be careful."

Crabbe and Goyle looked at her a little menacingly. It almost seemed as if they weren't sure how to act since she was a girl. Draco moved his hand in a manner that suggested he was calling them off as he said, "We shall see. You aren't in Gryffindor, so I'm willing to give you a chance."

"Thank you very much…" Elsa said dryly, but Draco didn't seem to notice. He just pulled out his school supplies as Crabbe and Goyle somehow managed to work out who sat next to Draco and who sat next to the other. Elsa was a little surprised they had enough brain power to figure that out. The two obvious minions/bodyguards didn't really seem bright at all.

It was at this time a ghost came in through the blackboard and settled itself at the podium in the front of the class. It introduced itself in a bored and dry voice, "I'm Professor Binns. This is History of Magic. Welcome…"

Elsa's eyes widened in surprise as she said loud enough to be heard, "The History Professor's a ghost?" She gave a sigh as she continued quietly, "This could be very good or very bad."

Draco gave a chuckle and acted as if he knew something she didn't, but his curiosity was obvious from his body language. Elsa gave a half frown at the blonde boy, but decided she might as well treat him neutrally for the time being. Their families did do business after all and maybe it was partly Ron's reaction that caused his behavior on the train. She doubted it, but if nothing else it would only add to her pleasure when the Malfoy heir later realized he messed up badly with someone who could determine his family's fortune and fate easily. The Crown Princess was already making a sort of 'list' thanks to Draco.

As the class went on, Elsa understood what the older student was talking about. She wanted to learn a lot about the history of magic and listened intently to the class, but Professor Binns made it so very boring. She had a feeling even truly horrendous and epic battles and wars would cause students to fall asleep in this class. She even noticed a Slytherin boy on the other side of the room asleep already.

Elsa looked to Morag. Her dorm mate had a frown as she took notes. She then whispered, "Get a load of him. I'm actually looking forward to learning about gardening, and I've never liked the subject." Elsa hid a giggle as she nodded.

The crown princess then looked to her other side where Draco was sitting. She was actually surprised how focused he seemed at least. Elsa might have been more focused, but so far the professor was more or less repeating the textbook. The textbook was much more interesting than he was. Still, she got back to taking notes thinking that maybe it would make things better or at least pass the time quicker. Taking a nap would probably pass the time the fastest, but the last thing she would do was sleep in a class.

{-} {-} {-}

Elsa gave a stretch and a sigh of relief as they made their way to the greenhouses. She hated to admit it, but there was a distinct possibility History of magic might end up her least favorite class. "You know… I usually love history!" Morag looked to her curiously as she continued, "But Professor Binns makes it so boring… I mean really boring. He's just repeating the book."

"I know what ya mean. It seems being taught history by a ghost is a very bad thing," Morag said giving Elsa a smirk. Elsa blushed a little. She really didn't mean to say that out loud.

"Well…" Elsa started and then faltered. "Nevermind… I'm not going to say that after all… Not going to jinx it." The people around her chuckled at her words even a couple of nearby Slytherins. They knew what she almost said and agreed with her decision not to say it. It would only make things worse.

Lisa Turpin, who sat on the other side of Morag in the last class playfully asked, "So… Morag… Ready to experience a new liking for gardening?"

"After that class… Yes, I actually am… Sad ain't it," Morag said with a shake of her head as the others laughed.

"What if the professor just lectures us using the book as well?" Amanda Brocklehurst asked barely containing a snicker.

"Then I'd ask why'd we come all the way out here for the class," Morag said with a snort. The group laughed and joked back and forth until the entered the classroom.

It turned out Morag didn't need to ask her question. Professor Sprout was a friendly and cheerfully woman, but it was apparent she was also very professional. She gave two students from Slytherin a harsh lecture and docked points when they acted as if plants didn't matter and didn't bother to even pretend to pay attention to the class at first.

Draco was across from Elsa and a couple of her fellow Ravenclaws. She was once again a bit surprised that despite his arrogance towards other students he actually paid attention to class. Maybe her words actually struck a chord with him, or maybe he was almost a barely decent person from the start. Elsa would wait and see. At the same time, she had now dubbed Mondays 'Regretfully Slytherin Day'.

Herbology actually turned out to be kind of fun and interesting. Elsa had never really worked with plants before. They had professional gardeners take care of that at Arendelle Palace. She always thought it would be kind of boring to do that herself, but in the magical world plants were different. Plants might actually fight back here.

At home, the worst that would happen was maybe accidentally pricking yourself on a thorn or stumbling back after pulling a weed that was deep rooted. Here, if you weren't careful, the plant might actually sock you in the jaw. Elsa managed to hide her laugh when one did just that to Goyle. He then tried to punch it back, but to no avail. The plant managed to somehow dodge him before hitting him once more.

"Mr. Gregory Goyle… That will be 10 points from Slytherin. We do not have fist fights with the plants," Professor Sprout said with a sigh.

"But it hit me first…" Goyle tried to defend himself. That also didn't make a difference, probably because both Malfoy and Crabbe were snickering behind him.

"Only because you didn't follow instructions, Mr. Goyle," the professor said with a small frown. Goyle looked to Crabbe to back him up, but it seemed his friend found it too funny that he lost to a plant in a fight.

Goyle then frowned at the plant and said, "You're dumb, plant." The plant then managed to hit him one more time seemingly in response. This caused the whole class, especially Draco and Crabbe, to laugh uproariously. Professor Sprout even managed to chuckle a little quietly. Goyle just glowered at the plant and seemed eager to use it in a potion so he could chop it up in revenge.

The rest of Herbology was fun for Elsa. She was surprised that she enjoyed working with her hands so much in the class. Depending on how things went, she might ask to have her own small garden to work in back home at Arendelle. She would probably have to share it with Anna, but that just made the idea even more appealing to her.

{-} {-} {-}

Once the day was over and they all were back inside the castle, Elsa decided to head to the library to work on her History of Magic assignment. She wanted to just be done with it, plus reading about history would be fun for her. She looked around the library and she felt mesmerized by it. There were books flying back to their shelves and it was fairly large, but it was mostly the flying books which amazed her.

She watched the flying books for a few minutes before finding an empty table to sit at. She pulled out her supplies and started to work on the assignment. It was a lot more fun and interesting compared to the actual class.

Half way through the last part of her assignment Elsa was pleasantly surprised when she noticed Hermione coming over to her. Hermione took in a deep breath and quietly said, "Elsa, I'm so sorry I didn't get into Ravenclaw… I really tried to. I argued with the hat, but it refused to let me go there. The worst part is my arguing proved to the hat my 'Gryffindor Courage' since I stood up to him."

Elsa actually felt relieved hearing her friend say that and she found it a little funny. She wasn't about to admit it, but she had felt a little disappointed none of her friends from the train trip followed her into her dorm. She gave a smile and said, "It's okay, Hermione. I told you all I wanted to still be your friend regardless of what houses we ended up in. I really meant."

Hermione let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding as she sat down next to Elsa. The bushy haired girl seemed more relieved than Elsa had felt seconds ago. "Harry said the same thing at breakfast. I'm so glad to hear that…" After a moment or two of silence as she got out her own supplies, Hermione asked again, "So how was your first day?"

Elsa gave an unqueenly groan as she started. "History of Magic is sooo boring! I mean how can it be boring. Its magic and history. I've always loved History, but Professor Binns has made boring an art form. He's even a ghost and he's boring. I wouldn't be surprised if he had bored himself to death and that's why he's a ghost."

"I know right?!" Hermione said louder than she meant to say. This earned her a hush from Madam Pince and a giggle from Elsa. Hermione gave the librarian an apologetic look. The stern woman just shook her head and went back to reading something behind her counter.

Hermione turned to Elsa. "We just had History of Magic. We started off with Herbology in the morning. I really liked Professor Sprout."

Elsa smiled and said quietly, "Herbology was fun and interesting for our class too."

"How so?" Hermione asked.

"Well I found the plants and subject material interesting. I also liked Professor Sprout. She was friendly, knowledgeable, and professional. It was nice to do something practical after History of Magic," Elsa said. She then gave a grin and hid a snicker as she added, "But my favorite part was when Goyle got into a fight with a plant and lost."

Hermione giggled as she asked, "Really?" She did at least manage to be quiet this time. Usually she would be completely quiet when in a library, but she had never had a friend with her to talk to while she was there. She had always been annoyed and slightly jealous when she saw a couple of people talking over a book in the library.

Elsa nodded and said, "Yes really. Even the Professor couldn't help, but laugh when he called the plant stupid and it hit him one more time." The two shared a laugh and got a half-hearted glare from Madam Pince. It was like she was warning them she was about to warn them and hush them again or something.

Hermione then gave a worrying frown as she said, "So I guess since we spent the whole day with Hufflepuff that means you had Slytherin the whole day."

Elsa gave a frown and nodded. "Yeah… Draco even decided to sit by me in History for some reason."

Hermione's frown deepened. "How did that go?"

"Not as bad as I feared it would. I'll have to see about that in the coming days if it continues. He was actually surprisingly focused during classes."

Hermione gave a sigh as she said, "I hope he will be that way when we have classes with Slytherin, but somehow I don't think that will be the case."

"Maybe you'll all be lucky enough he won't sit near you guys," Elsa said hopefully to her friend. She doubted Malfoy would behave regardless. It seemed him and Ron already hated each other. Elsa also doubted his arrogance would allow him to leave Harry alone after turning him down on the train and on top of that being friends with Ron.

"So how are Harry, Ron and Neville? Are you three still friends or have you all been busy trying to get along with others already instead?" Elsa asked.

"They're alright. They've been getting along with Dean and Seamus," Hermione answered as she concentrated extra hard on her assignment for a bit.

Elsa gave a frown. "What about yourself?"

"Dean and Seamus seem alright to me," Hermione answered not looking up.

"Hermione…" Elsa started. Maybe she was being a little forceful here too quickly, but Hermione was acting just like Anna did when she was purposely leaving details out. Anna could go on for a good while acting like that.

Fortunately, Hermione wasn't Anna. She gave a sigh as she said, "Okay fine… I can't get along with Lavender or Parvati. I mean their nice enough and they aren't mean to me at least, but I can't really talk to them. Their always busy giggling, gossiping about fashion and wizarding celebrities, who I don't know about at all. I'm not about to dare ask them who these celebrities are either. They'll just giggle and probably make fun of me for not knowing. Right now we just don't bother each other. Fay Dunbar seems to get along with them, but she's a little colder than they are and also grew up in the wizarding world."

Elsa placed a hand on Hermione's shoulder and the girl seemed to let out a sigh in relief and smiled weakly. "You do still have some friends at least. Maybe try to get to know some of the other girls in Gryffindor better instead?" Elsa replied helpfully.

Hermione shook her head, "It's alright. I might try, but like you said I do still have some friends at least. I even have you, another girl, as a friend. Which is a relief."

Elsa then gave a stretch as she said, "Well it seems like Padma is very different from her sister. She's actually kind of quiet."

"Maybe she just isn't used to being separated from her sister and she might actually be just as talkative," Hermione said.

"Possibly," Elsa responded simply.

"How far along are you on your History assignment?" Hermione asked.

Elsa took in a deep breath and started working on it again. "Almost finished before double checking it once or twice."

Hermione seemed to light up at Elsa's response. "So not only are you also a girl, but you also actually care to finish your assignments early. What a relief!"

Elsa gave a chuckle as she asked, "Why's that a relief? Plus, I am a Ravenclaw you know. Studying is kind of our thing."

Hermione gave a small laugh to Elsa's response before answering. "Well Ron's already made it clear he has no intention of doing any homework ahead of time. Harry and Neville seem to be following his lead on that subject for now at least. 'We should be exploring the castle! Not wasting our time on Homework.' After Ron said that they ended up exploring the common room by talking about Quidditch and how awesome the common room was with Dean and Seamus."

Hermione gave a sigh as she said, "Boys…"

Elsa laughed louder than she meant and she was the one on the receiving end of Madam Pince's glare this time. She instantly understood why Hermione quickly gave an apologetic look to the librarian. Madam Pince seemed a little scary. Fortunately, the librarian gave another shake of her head before she returned to reading.

Hermione covered her mouth as she gave a giggle at Elsa. "At least she seems more concerned about reading than scolding children," Hermione said.

Elsa gave a bit of mischievous smile as she said, "I bet it's one of **those** novels." Hermione sat there with her mouth agape blushing as Elsa gave another giggle. Hermione then closed her mouth and momentarily became super focused on her assignment while still blushing.

Elsa decided Hermione would be a very fun friend to have after that reaction. " _I can see why Anna loved teasing me about things now… That reaction was too fun,_ " the princess thought to herself. She then gave a sigh. She was already missing Anna.

Elsa and Hermione talked a little while they worked on their assignment. Once Elsa read through it twice, she pulled out a new roll of parchment and started writing. "We didn't have a Herbology assignment did we?" Hermione asked almost in panic. It would be really bad if she missed something like that in the class. It was so unlike her.

Elsa shook her head. "Writing a letter to Anna. I just have to figure out how to talk about things without giving anything away. I can't really tell her about magic."

Hermione wanted to ask why that was, but she decided not to. She figured maybe it was something to do with the Statute of Secrecy. She only asked Professor McGonagall about it regarding her and her parents. Maybe things were different if you had a sibling who wasn't magical.

After a little bit Hermione asked something that just came to her mind, "So who introduced you to the magical world? How long have you known about it? Professor McGonagall came to my house and talked to me and my parents about magic about a year ago when I got my letter, but it was too late for that school year. She also took us to Diagon Alley to get supplies shortly before we started this year." Hermione felt it was best to answer her questions first before Elsa. They were a little personal and it was probably best to offer up equally personal information in return or in this case advance.

Elsa gave a smile as she said, "A wonderful woman who goes by Miss Rose introduced me to the magical world. It's kind of her thing to help new witches and wizards where I'm from. But I've kind of known about magic since I was a little girl. I just didn't know about this magical world."

Hermione almost wanted to ask where Elsa was from exactly. She knew the girl was from somewhere Icelandic or Nordic she was thinking more Norway really. However, something she found more interesting was what Elsa said about magic. "Really? You've know about magic for that long?"

Elsa nodded, "My family is a little different when it comes to magic. Magic has always run in my family. However, it doesn't always appear in us, but from what my mom told me all women are carriers of what we have come to call the gift. Men can have the gift in our family, but unless they marry another witch it won't pass on to their children." Elsa hadn't told Hermione about this on the train. She just told Ron and Harry.

Hermione gave a hum in thought about this. It was really interesting and odd. "Does that mean your sister might be a witch?"

Elsa gave a frown. "If Anna has magic, she hasn't shown any signs. She's a couple of years younger than me so she still has some time for it to show in time for Hogwarts. I'm not counting on it though. It would be too heartbreaking if I hoped on it too much and then for her not to have magic." Elsa was relieved it seemed Hermione understood not to press despite seeming curious as to why it would be so heartbreaking for her. If this was all Hermione or if it was part of the protection she was told about, she wasn't sure.

It seemed it was more Hermione than the protection as the girl grabbed Elsa's hand and smiled. She didn't say anything, but Elsa could tell there was some kind of understanding between them now. Hermione then went back to working on her third revision of her assignment. Elsa had to admit she was a little impressed Hermione could stand to revise that many times and seemed to be quick about it.

{-} {-} {-}

The two friends finally got up from their table and left the library. As they walked the halls together Hermione said, "Even though I went to the library, I bet I've seen more of the castle today than Ron. I bet he's still going on about Quidditch. Really It seems even wizards can get rather fanatical about sports. It must be a guy thing."

Elsa chuckled as she said, "I don't know if I would say they're all like that. That would be like saying all girls act like you said Lavender did."

Hermione stopped for a second in mock horror. She then smiled and said, "Maybe it's a Ron thing? I mean Neville got into it too, but he seems less intense about it."

"Harry seemed to really enjoy hearing about it on the train," Elsa said offhandedly.

Hermione paused again. This time she seemed closer to actual horror as she spoke. "We'll have to watch Harry. I know he's a guy as well, but I really don't want all of my male friends to be Quidditch-holics. You have to help me here, Elsa."

Elsa giggled in response before Hermione joined her. They really didn't know just how much of Harry's school life would involve Quidditch at this time. Even after finding out later, they would probably agree Ron was on a whole different tear of Quidditch crazy.

They soon approached the point where they would go their separate ways. "It was nice running into you at the library, Elsa," Hermione said with a smile. She was glad she managed to get to meet with her only female friend so soon.

Elsa smiled in return, "I'm glad you did too, Hermione. I'm glad we talked and already finished our History assignments." She then gave a giggle as she added, "I'm glad I got to tell someone else about Goyle's fight with the plant."

Hermione gave a giggle too. "I'll be sure to tell the others. See you tomorrow I guess?"

Elsa smiled as she said, "Yes. We will. We all have DADA at the same time." She then blinked in thought before asking, "What other classes do you have?"

Hermione pulled out her schedule and looked it over. "Double Charms and Transfiguration before DADA."

Elsa gave a bright smile as she hugged Hermione. The curly haired girl was surprised at the response. "Sorry…" Elsa said looking sheepish. "I was just relieved. After spending all day with Slytherin it will be nice having most of the day with Gryffindor tomorrow. We have Charms together. Though Ravenclaw has Potions before DADA."

Hermione smiled and quickly gave Elsa a hug back. She was happy she would be able to have a class together with Elsa already. "I'll make sure to save you a spot!" She then frowned as she asked, "Ummm… Your year mates won't mind, right?"

Elsa thought for a moment and shrugged. "I don't think they will. We get along well enough so far. Besides, you and the others were my first friends apart from my sister." Hermione smiled at that.

She then took in a deep breath and said, "Well then. See you tomorrow, Elsa. I'll tell the others that as well. Oh… Do you want to tell them about Goyle instead?" Hermione looked a little bummed at the thought. This was something really didn't want to have to keep from the others.

Elsa gave a laugh as she noticed Hermione's expression. "You can tell them. Besides, it will just show them how much they missed by not going to the library with you to study." Hermione smiled at that and the two went their separate ways to their dorms.

{-} {-} {-}

As Elsa entered her dorm to relax a little before supper, her dorm mates turned to her and Morag asked, "Please tell us the History assignment wasn't as bad as the class…" They knew she went to finish it.

Elsa gave a mock shocked expression as she said, "Ravenclaws avoiding an assignment? What will the Prefects think?"

A couple of the girls shifted a little uneasily. Elsa then giggled and the others either laughed in return or gave halfhearted glares at her. "Sorry. I couldn't resist."

Morag gave a lazy smile as she rolled her eyes. "So what is it?"

"It was actually a lot more enjoyable than the class itself," Elsa replied.

The others seemed to sigh in relief at that. "I still don't see how a ghost can make even history boring…" Lisa said with a shake of her head.

"For the record…" Padma started and was a little shocked at the silence that followed her words. "What?"

"Nothing…" Mandy said looking to the said.

"I do talk sometimes…" she gave Mandy a half-hearted glare. "As I was saying… For the record, I wasn't fully avoiding the assignment. It's just that Professor Binns actually made me dread anything related to History and I wanted to avoid it for a bit… I think he did for all of us," Padma said as she looked to the others who nodded in agreement.

Elsa sighed, "I'll admit the only reason I did it so soon was because I feared the worst and wanted it out of the way. I love history, but like you said. He's ruining it for me." She then gave a giggle and added, "Hermione and I are probably the only ones to have already done the assignment."

"Ah yes, Hermione. She that Lass you told us about at the feast, right?" Morag asked. Elsa nodded. "If what you said is true, it's a wonder she ended up in Gryffindor."

"Well I don't think she's had any accounting classes yet," Elsa said with a chuckle.

Padma then nodded sagely and said, "Perhaps there is some truth to that theory after all." Again she was caught off guard by the four pairs of eyes looking at her. She frowned. "Just because I'm not a chatterbox like my sister, doesn't mean I never talk!" The other girls gave her apologetic looks and she sighed.

They'd only met her at the opening feast. They didn't know her. Granted she never really did say much before because her sister was such a chatterbox. She also was usually very much fine to keep quiet, but still it annoyed her a little. At the same time, she had been surprising herself with how much she had talked already since the start of school. It was different and she hoped that Parvati's presence wasn't the only reason she was different from her twin sister in that regard.

"Oh yeah. That reminds me," Elsa started. "We actually have Charms with Gryffindor tomorrow. Hermione and I compared our schedules."

"That's a relief…" Lisa sighed as she relaxed. "I really would have hated to have two Slytherin days back to back."

Mandy nodded as she said, "I don't really like the looks some of them were giving us even if they kept to their selves. Especially that Pansy girl." Mandy then turned to Elsa in concern as she continued, "She was glaring at you something fierce during History. I think she's got a crush on Draco or something."

Elsa frowned at this information. "Thanks for telling me, Mandy. I'll keep an eye out. There's no telling what a girl will do because of her crush, especially a Slytherin." The princess wouldn't start anything with the Parkinson girl, but if said girl started something Elsa would finish it and do so the smart way while also not getting caught.

"If she tries anything, you let us know. Us claws got ta stick together," Morag said with a nod.

The others nodded as well, even if Mandy gave a giggle shortly afterwards and said, "That's rather Hufflepuff of you, Morag." Morag gave her a frown. The other girl gulped a little thinking she might have upset her.

Elsa let out a sigh. "I don't get what all the hate for Hufflepuff is about. Their house is known for being just, loyal and hardworking. Sure its where all the 'leftovers" supposedly go. But that just means they have the most potential and should be respected."

The girls looked thoughtful at her words as she continued, "It means they can have traits from all of the houses. For instance, they can be cunning and ambitious, but they're not willing to stab others in the back," Elsa said.

Mandy gave a nod as she added, "Meaning they're the type who would be like 'I'm going to top. Want to come with me?' Instead of waiting to step over others."

Padma's eyes lit up as she said, "They could probably be just as brave or in some cases braver than Gryffindores. Except their driven by loyalty to others instead of for the sake of being brave alone."

The girls spent a little more time discussing this new theory along with the good and bad implications it had. They finally took a break when they went to supper where they discussed other things with everyone else. Once they finished supper, all of the other girls started working on their History assignments and so there wasn't much debate for the rest of the night. Elsa used the quiet time to work more on her letter to Anna. She would find time tomorrow to mail it out, or she might actually make it a really long letter to send at the end of the week and let Hermod get used to the castle and the other owls a little first. She wasn't sure which would be the best and would sleep on it.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: School Days at Hogwarts

Hermione smiled as she entered the Gryffindor Common room. She wasn't surprised to find Ron, Harry and Neville still there. It didn't even look like they had moved from their chairs.

"So, back already? You give up on the History assignment?" Ron asked with a bit of a grin.

Hermione gave him a frown as she said, "I already finished it actually."

"Really?" Ron asked disbelievingly.

"Yes," replied Hermione evenly.

"How was the library?" Neville asked her.

Hermione gave a smile again as she sat down near the others and said, "I liked it. I especially liked how the books literally returned to their shelves. They would fly back to their shelves when you closed them and tapped them with your wand."

"That's sounds cool," Harry said imagining what the sight would be like. He was already planning on having a race using a couple of books just to see what would happen. Ron and Neville didn't seem as impressed, but they both already understood how so many things seemed amazing to Harry and Hermione.

"It was, but the best part was I ran into Elsa there. She was also doing her History assignment," Hermione said.

Ron and Neville were more interested now. "What did you two talk about?" Ron asked.

"Classes and some other things. It turns out she had the same classes today we did, just switched around. She agreed that History was incredibly boring. In fact, she said she found working on the assignment more interesting than the class," Hermione said with a laugh.

"So that means she had to put up with Slytherin all day?" Ron asked with disgust. "I feel sorry for her."

"Yes they had Slytherin today. It wasn't as bad as she feared it would be. She still wasn't thrilled about it," Hermione said with a sigh.

She then smiled again as she added, "But it might have been worth it."

"What could possibly be worth putting up with Slytherins all day?" Ron asked with a puzzled face.

"Well she got to see Goyle get in a fight with a plant during Herbology." Hermione then giggled as she added, "He lost to it."

She laughed more as her friends blinked for a few minutes as they tried to picture that. Once they had an idea, they started to laugh as well. "I bet he didn't like that," Harry chuckled.

"Apparently, he called the plant stupid and then it socked him one last time," Hermione was still in a fit of giggles. "Even Professor Sprout laughed when that happened."

"Aww man. I wish I could have seen that," Ron said. It was clear he approved of anything that made Slytherin look bad.

The four laughed a little longer at the story. Hermione hadn't really told her story too loudly, but two matching sets of red hair and a set of dreadlocks over heard them. The three quickly left the room barely containing their own laughs. They now had work to do. They had to be quick and make it good. That was the only way to start off their school year.

"Another thing I found out, is that we have Charms with Ravenclaw tomorrow," Hermione said after she stopped laughing.

"Good. It will be nice to have class with Elsa… Is she going to sit with us?" Harry asked. He felt a little sheepish having assumed she would sit with them.

Hermione nodded. "I promised to save her a seat. Don't know what will happen during DADA though. We all have that class together. I hope to see her after DADA at least. I want to ask her what Potions is like as a class."

Ron made a sick sound as he said, "That means she'll have to put up with Professor Snape. I've heard he's terrible. Only likes the Slytherins in his classes."

Neville nodded. "I've heard the same. He's especially tough on Gryffindores. Maybe he won't be as bad since she's in Ravenclaw."

Harry frowned. "I bet it's really bad if you have that class with the Slytherins…." His green eyes widened as he then sighed in resignation. "We're going to have that class with the Slytherins, aren't we?"

"Why do you say that? We don't really know yet." Hermione said as she frowned in thought.

"I'm just saying we will, knowing my luck… Sorry…" Harry said as if he was apologizing to them for being at Hogwarts. Hermione wasn't sure what to say to him. Neville looked like he was thinking it was actually his own fault if that happened to them and not Harry's.

Ron gave a laugh. "What are you saying sorry for?" Harry looked to him with a little wonderment. "It wouldn't matter if we had it with Slytherin or not. Like Neville said. It will be bad regardless for us, because we're Gryffindores and Snape never likes us."

Harry seemed a little relieved and Hermione was a little surprised and thinking that maybe Ron wasn't as bad as she thought he was when it came to people. She saw him as a friend anyways, but she kept getting a feeling he would be kind of tough to be friends with at times. Neville smiled and nodded as he said, "Besides, us Gryffindores stick together. Right?"

"Here. Here," Ron said. He then smiled as he stood up and said, "Let's stop talking about that. It almost time for dinner. I wonder if it will be as good as it was last night." Harry smiled as did Neville to his words. Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head, but Ron didn't notice the gesture.

{-} {-} {-}

The feast was pretty good Hermione thought. Harry seemed to agree. She also caught Neville patting his belly a little in contentment as they headed back to common room. Ron was the most enthusiastic during the meal, but right now he seemed lost in thought.

Harry was about to ask what was on Ron's mind when the boy spoke. "Hmmm… I'd give that a 7 or an 8 out of 10."

Harry looked to him surprised as he asked, "Really? That low?"

"Yep. It was pretty good, but not the best. It also wasn't as good as last night's feast," Ron said.

"Didn't know you were a food critic," Neville said with a laugh.

"How can you tell? We've only had supper twice here. Though it does make sense tonight wouldn't be as big. Last night was the opening Feast for the school year," Hermione said as she thought a little out loud.

Ron just grinned as he said, "You've never had my mom's cooking before. She loves cooking and she's very good at it. Dad's always going on about how it's one of the things he loves about her. Well… along with everything else."

Hermione was in thought about what to say on that. The truth was her own parents took turns cooking, but they were always very selective in what they cooked. Probably because they were dentist and wanted to make sure they never had anything that wasn't good for your teeth. This was part of the reason she may have helped herself to an extra helping of desert tonight and last night. Sweets weren't something her parents let her have often. In the end, she didn't say anything and just headed back to the common room with the others.

{-} {-} {-}

On the second day of school, Elsa again woke up early. She decided to get back into her usual routine a little. She usually took a morning jog/run. She felt like she had to keep healthy and the shower afterwards always helped wake her up enough for her classes. She wasn't about to slack off in the fitness department now that she was at Hogwarts. If she did, she might not be able to keep up with Anna when she went back home, even if it was months away before that.

Plus, as a member of the Elsanna Exploration Society, she had to keep in good shape. It would be more difficult to explore the castle otherwise. There wasn't really any form of physical education at Hogwarts anyways. She also really wanted to see the grounds more and what better way was there than going for a run along the lake or something like that.

Doing some kind of extreme diet to stay healthy was out of the question too. She wouldn't be able to enjoy the feasts here at Hogwarts if that was her approach. They weren't the most extravagant or the most delicious she had experienced so far, but the food was still good and there were so many deserts to try. In addition to that, she enjoyed how different the atmosphere of a Hogwarts feast was compared to the others she had been to before. She preferred the Hogwarts Feast Atmosphere to the usual. Probably because Hogwarts Feasts were meant for the students and not a bunch of adult nobles and politicians.

As she got out of her bed, she was extra careful to be quiet. She didn't want to accidentally wake up Morag early twice in a row. Once she got back from her morning jog and to her room for the shower, she figured that wouldn't be too early anymore. She searched through her trunk and pulled out her workout clothes before changing into them and making her way out of Ravenclaw Tower.

The castle was oddly quiet this early in the morning. She figured there would be servants running about busy by this time. " _Now that I think about it. I haven't really seen any of the service staff yet,_ " Elsa thought to herself. She decided not to worry about it at this time. She was eager to get her morning run in for the day.

Elsa took in a deep breath of the morning fresh air as she stepped outside. It was exhilarating for her. She made her way over to the lake shore and started to run. She figured a lap or two might be enough. She was going to see how long it would take to run around it once.

The crown princess ended up running two laps around the lake followed by a cool down lap before heading back to the castle. The whole workout in total took her about 40 minutes. She came across a few students heading off to an early breakfast, who gave her curious looks as she made her way back to the tower. " _It's like they've never seen workout clothes before…_ " she thought to herself. She then realized that might be the case.

Wizards had Quidditch in the ways of sports with physical activities and that was about it that she knew of at least. There were other games called sports, but they weren't really what would be considered physically active. In fact, calling Quidditch a really physically active sport was probably pushing it. It was more of a coordination and strategy sport than actually being a physical sport. Not that Elsa would ever say that out loud near Ron and she also wasn't an expert and this was just her current guess about it.

Elsa entered Ravenclaw and again she was met with curious looks. She was a little uneasy with all of the looks, but didn't let it show. " _They'll get used to me dressed like this in mornings soon enough,_ " she thought to herself as she climbed the stairs.

Once she entered the dorm, she was greeted with a "Morning, Elsa. Where were ya?" from Morag.

"I went for a morning run. It's something I always do," Elsa answered.

"What are you wearing?" Mandy asked as she looked over the girl in curiosity. She wasn't a stranger to muggle clothes but these were different from the ones she was used to seeing.

"Workout clothes. I'm not about to run around the lake in my uniform or robes," Elsa answered as she started gathering her things for her shower. One of them should be open. Though it would be a little odd taking a shower while two others were showering, even if they were in separate ones.

{-} {-} {-}

It wasn't as bad showering as Elsa thought it would be. It was also just as refreshing as she guessed it would be after her run. She even hummed a little to herself. They were now heading out to breakfast. "I can't wait to see what Professor Flitwick is like in class," Lisa said as she led the way.

"I've heard he's really good at dueling so he probably really knows his stuff in general," Mandy said.

"I'm looking forward to the class itself. You can do a lot with charms," Padma added.

"I'm just glad we aren't having the class with Slytherin," Elsa said with a contented sigh earning snickers from the others.

"So how was your morning run?" Morag asked as they continued their way.

"I enjoyed it. I did find the castle oddly quiet though. I expected to see servants running everywhere getting things ready," Elsa answered.

"Well good house elves aren't usually seen when they work for a place like Hogwarts," Morag answered.

"I'm not very familiar with House elves. I read a little about them but that was it," Elsa admitted. She then turned to Morag and asked, "Can you tell me more about them?" Morag nodded and was actually a little pleased that she was considered a source of information on something magical.

As they sat down at their table, Elsa had a curious thought about House Elves. She wondered exactly how the bond worked and she really hoped there was something in place to make sure they weren't abused. Morag's "Most Wizards, if their half-way decent, generally treat the elves well," wasn't enough reassurance. She might have thought more on the subject, but she was hungry and really needed to eat.

The meal turned out to be really good and extra entertaining. Half way through there was a "school paper" that ended up popping up on the table by everyone. The front page gave her a laugh. This was a good joke she would admit.

On the front page, there was a made up picture that reminded her of a boxing match-up poster. One side had a picture of a tough looking and grave faced Goyle, which was actually more intimidating than the actual Slytherin was. There was a flashy lightning bolt in the center and on the other side was a picture of the plant that Goyle fought and lost to. She read the article.

 _Goyle vs. Plant! Will there be an epic rematch?!_

 _Sources have told us of a fight that took place during the first year Slytherin and Ravenclaw Herbology class yesterday. This fight involved up and coming first year Slytherin muscle Goyle and a plant. This plant disagreed with the first year and the two duked it out. The plant weaved and dodged while Goyle threw punches. It landed a few good hits before the match was called to an end by Professor and referee Pomona Sprout. However, Goyle took issue with the plant and called it stupid. The plant did not appreciate that kind of un-sportsman like behavior and smacked the first year one last time._

 _When we spoke to the plant it had this to say, "The match was over and the ref called it. It isn't my fault Gregory Goyle was too slow land a hit on me and lost."_

 _Goyle mentioned he wanted a rematch to show the plant who's boss and preferably during Potions Class sometime in the future._

 _We got the plant's response, "Bring it on! Anytime you want during Herbology!" There is no official word on a rematch yet, but here's hoping._

The article was too funny, even Draco seemed to be laughing, but maybe that was because he heard Crabbe telling Goyle in an oddly consoling manner, "You'll show it next time, buddy. Next time."

Elsa eagerly looked through the rest of the "school paper" to see the other stories. It turned out it was full of fake and funny stories. There was one which asked about a plant inheriting a Gringott's account. It was the quote which truly made the story funny.

… _A Gringott's Curse Breaker had this to say, "Well that isn't really my department of expertise, but I have heard of some crazy things from the accountants. One of them said they did have a case in the past where a rather loony old coot of a wizard left his inheritance to a rug in his house and somehow that included his wife."_

" _She was not pleased to say the least and once enough time had passed and there was a will from the rug leaving everything to her with assurance and somehow proof it wasn't forced into signing such a will… Well let's just say there was an accident at a party involving a dog running around with a Dr. Filibuster's Fabulous Extra Fire Roman Candle in its mouth and the rug. So yeah it might be possible."_

The last article in the paper, but not the least was about a Fashionable First Year Hat List. It included a lot of made up fashion snobs spouting a bunch of mumbo jumbo with different cropped pictures of Hogwarts school uniform hats. Elsa got a laugh out of this one because all of the pictures looked exactly the same pretty much except for one where the tip was bent at a slightly different angle from the others. The excerpt about it was really funny.

 _Here we have a first year Ravenclaw's hat sporting a Crisp and Cozy Seasonal Fall look._

It was even funnier when Elsa noticed a few girls checking out other students' hats trying to figure out which one was which. She also giggled because she had a feeling there would probably be at least one person who tried to give their own hat a "Crisp and Cozy Seasonal Fall look."

What Elsa didn't know was at that moment Hermione was staring in confused awe at Lavender. She was in fact trying to do just that using the picture as reference while Padma's sister was scanning the Ravenclaw table with extra care trying to find said hat in the sea of the others. The hat part of the uniform was usually worn for the first week of class and then mostly just for the big feasts after that.

{-} {-} {-}

After finishing her breakfast, Elsa made her way to Charms with her dorm mates. As she walked inside she waved to Hermione and was relieved that the others seemed to be okay with spreading out in the classroom with the exception of Morag who sat on Elsa's right while Hermione was on the left. "Hello, Hermione. This is Morag. She sleeps in the bed next to mine in our dorm."

"So you are the one, Elsa warned us about," Morag started with a bit of a grin tugging at her lips. Hermione actually looked a little nervous.

Elsa rolled her eyes, "I did kind of tell the others you seem pretty smart and I was surprised you weren't in Ravenclaw. That's what she means." She gave Morag a slight frown who returned it with a chuckle.

"I was merely joking, Hermione. We might see you as competition for high grades, but it won't be nothing serious," Morag said with a smile. Hermione seemed relieved at her words.

"So where are Harry and the others?" Elsa asked.

Hermione gave a sigh. "Ron convinced them they have loads of time to get to class. I'm pretty sure he just wanted some more breakfast first."

"Who's that?" Morag asked Elsa.

"He's another friend I met on the train. He's kind of tall and lanky with flaming red hair. So I'm pretty sure he's got a fast metabolism and as such a bottomless pit for a stomach. The wonders of having a fast metabolism…" Elsa said almost with a sigh. "It would be nice to eat whatever you want without worry."

Hermione seemed like she wanted to say something as she looked Elsa up and down. Morag spoke up first, "Yeah then ya wouldn't hafta go running in the mornings and wake up your neighbor."

Elsa blushed, "I'm sorry. I didn't know. I tried to be quiet. I promise." She got a little angry when Morag started laughing. "You shouldn't joke like that. I was scared I woke you up again like yesterday…"

"Sorry it was too easy. You needn't worry. You didn't wake us up. I was a little surprised you were already gone when I got up while the others were still asleep. I kind of enjoy reading a little in the morning in silence from time to time," Morag said.

Hermione gave a smile to that. She also felt a little sad. It would be nice to be in a dorm where the others enjoyed something besides gossip and fashion magazines. "I wish I could do that and stay curled up in my bed a little longer in the mornings, but Lavender gets up early to get ready for the day and she isn't exactly quiet." Hermione couldn't help but look at the girl as she said that.

Elsa looked in the same direction and saw the girl had tried to make her hat like the one in the picture sitting next to Parvati. She gave a giggle. "Seems someone took that article to heart." Morag gave a laugh too. Still it was actually kind of nice to see Padma sitting with her sister and the two actually looked like they were happy to see each other. "I guess the Patil sisters do actually get along pretty well."

"Probably not too hard since Padma's on the quiet side," Morag added as they looked over and the two waved at Padma you looked over to them. She gave a wave back before returning to talking with Parvati.

Class was about to start and Elsa was a little worried since Harry, Ron and Neville hadn't arrived yet. As soon as she looked over to the door again, the three boys burst through. "Okay. No more taking our time at breakfast until after we get a good feel of this place," Neville said as Harry nodded in agreement and Ron was silent. He didn't want to admit he was wrong, but even he knew they were cutting it close. Who knows what would happen if they had actually been late to the class. They wouldn't have heard the end of it from Hermione and maybe Elsa too.

The three made their over to Hermione but there were only two spots left by her. One of them would have to sit by the Ravenclaw with Elsa. "Well. It is a good thing you three made it. Professor Flitwick can be strict if he wants to be and he isn't fond of tardiness, especially on the first day from what we've heard," Elsa said as they approached. Harry sat down by Hermione and Ron next to him with Neville sitting by the other girl.

"This is Morag. She's my bed neighbor," Elsa said to them. Morag gave the boys a friendly grin in greeting as they introduced their selves to her.

Harry turned to Elsa and asked, "So how was your first day, Elsa?"

Elsa gave an "ugh" sound and said, "History of Magic was terrible and for some reason Draco sat next to me. At least he was focused on the class."

"I doubt I'll be that lucky when we have Potions with them…" Harry said with a sigh.

"You already know what classes you have with them?" Elsa asked. If they did, she'd compare schedules and then determine which houses she has which classes with.

Harry shook his head. "No, we don't. Neville and I just agreed that knowing our luck we'll have Potions with Slytherin. It only makes sense that we would have them in the same class with the professor known to hate our house the most." Neville nodded his agreement with this, at least to him and Harry, sound logic.

Elsa wasn't sure what to say here. She had one thought, but she knew it wouldn't be a good idea to voice it. Fortunately for her, Morag spoke that thought instead. "Well, no offense to ya, but I'm glad to hear that if it's true. Wouldn't be looking forward to another class with them so soon. Some of them really are a might bit unpleasant to be around."

Ron gave a slight frown to Morag, but remained silent on the subject. It was just at this time that Professor Flitwick walked into the center of classroom and up on to a stool behind the podium. He looked around the classroom as if taking a silent headcount.

"Greetings, Everyone! I'm Professor Flitwick. It is so good to see you all today. I look forward to all we will learn together in this class," Professor Flitwick said as he smiled at the gathered students. Many of the Gryffindors were a little wide eyed looking at tiny Professor Flitwick. Some might have seen him at the feasts, but actually in person in a classroom was different. Fortunately, it seemed the man was used to this and so he allowed them to take him in before continuing his introduction.

"Charms is a very exciting and versatile field. But it can also be dangerous in many ways. We will be learning a number of spells. I imagine many of you will be very happy that this is much more practical than theoretical." He continued to smile as some students sat up straighter and were now more eager to learn.

"However… Be warned. We will have a good amount of repetition in this class. Precision and Memorization are especially key to Charm spells," he said as he looked over the class most of the students instantly getting his message. "It seems we are all ready to start then," he finished cheerfully.

{-} {-} {-}

So far Charms was easily Elsa's favorite class. She loved how they were already using magic in it. On top of that, it seemed she had a knack for it. It also felt really good to use magic again. She didn't need to be careful not to be noticed like she did with her ice powers. In fact, Professor Flitwick's words seemed to encourage her to use it often.

"Seems like he really does know his stuff after all," Morag started.

Lisa who was in earshot said, "Looks like Mandy was right. His being a duelist master really shows in teachings." Elsa and Morag nodded to this.

"Are you for real?!" Ron asked in surprise.

Lisa looked at him strangely and nodded as she said, "Yes, he is."

Hermione elbowed him softly causing him to wince a bit as he said, "Oh sorry. I'm Ron."

She smiled and said, "I'm Lisa."

Ron grinned back as he said, "I think I'm going to actually try even harder in this class now! I bet it's awesome being a master duelist."

Lisa couldn't help but grin and nod vigorously. They were talking about her head of house after all so she felt a sense of Ravenclaw pride. "I'm really looking forward to more of this class," she said.

"I am too! That was so much fun. It felt wonderful using my wand finally. I love magic," Elsa said cheerfully. She felt a little embarrassed about her excitement and wondered if she was feeling some sort of high from using magic through the wand or something.

Lunch was a pleasant affair for all of them. Ron was unsurprisingly more than ready for lunch. Elsa, to the others' surprise, was actually looking forward to lunch as well. She could have sworn her stomach growled a little. " _Maybe magic uses up calories?_ " she thought and kind of hoped. She would still run in the mornings and such, but it would be nice if she got to really enjoy the food here even more. Maybe it was instead because she didn't have enough at breakfast. She paid too much attention to the fake school paper instead.

She was happy that the Ravenclaw table was next to Gryffindor in the dining hall. The princess was even happier that she managed to find a spot kind of close to Harry and the others. She managed to hold two separate conversations during the meal, one with her table and one with the Gryffindors. Lunch was rather lax and there wasn't anything saying they couldn't mix it up with the other tables, but it was hard to try this because everyone had Lunch at the same time.

"Well see you all in DADA," Elsa said to Hermione, Harry, Ron and Neville once the meal was over.

"Be sure to tell me all about Potions later," Hermione said to her friend.

Elsa smiled as she said, "Only if you will tell me all about Transfiguration." Hermione nodded to this with a smile. Elsa then caught up to Padma who was on her way to the Potions classroom.

"How was your sister doing?" Elsa asked.

"Parvati's fine. She's loving Gryffindor. Unsurprisingly, she already has a new best friend. She did admit she found Hermione quiet, but judging from lunch that doesn't seem to be the case," Padma said in reply.

"Hermione just doesn't really know how to relate to Parvati and Lavender. She's like me in some ways. She doesn't know much of anything about the magical world. She's afraid the others will make fun of her or something if she were to ask them questions," Elsa said. Padma looked like she was about to defend her sister, but Elsa wasn't finished yet. "She doesn't really think they are bad or anything. She's just not the best with meeting new people I'd say. I told her to keep trying."

They sighed as they entered the Potions classroom. "They really know how to set a cheerful mood here don't they…" Padma said flatly as they looked around the dreary class dungeon.

Elsa gave a sigh and nodded in agreement with Padma's sarcasm. "looks like there's just a few tables left," the Arendelle princess said as the two waved to their year mates who looked a little apologetic that they couldn't all sit together. The tables were meant for three, maybe four students each max.

"At least we don't have this class with the Slytherins," Padma said as she nodded over to Michael and Terry sitting by a talkative boy in robes with yellow and black striped accents. "That's a relief," she concluded as they sat down together and waited for the rest of the class to trickle in.

"Ummm…." A girly voice said from behind Elsa. The girl looked to her with a small smile. "Can I sit here… I mean everywhere else is taken…" the girl said. She had blonde hair in pigtails and very pink cheeks.

"Sure you can. I'm Elsa," the princess greeted the other girl.

"I'm Padma," the other girl greeted as well. She then added, "You're Hannah Abbot, right?"

Hannah eeped and blushed a little. "Ummm… Yes, I am. How did you my name?"

"You were the first to be sorted," Padma answered easily.

Hannah sat down still looking a little put out. Elsa then said, "It kind of made you memorable. Just like how Blaise Zabini was the last to be sorted. In fact, I'm pretty sure the only people more memorable in our year so far are Harry and maybe Draco because of his family."

Hannah seemed to feel a little more at ease. It seemed she had feared she did something foolish during the sorting and that was why people knew her already. She seemed to relax a little as she got out her supplies. She was a little upset that she didn't end up getting to sit with any of her fellow badgers, but at least Elsa and Padma seemed nice. Plus, she actually remembered Elsa from the sorting. The girl had a certain air about her as she made her way to the hat.

Right precisely at the second class started, the doors burst open and then slammed shut as a grave faced man with a hooked nose and dark black hair framing his face walked forward with his robes billowing behind him. Once he was at the front of the room, he spoke in a soft contained voice which only added to his already strong authoritative presence. "Put your wands away. There will be no silly wand waving or uttering of incantations in this class."

All of the students did as they were told easily. Some understood why they were putting their wands away. Others merely did so just because they were told and they didn't want to get on this Professor's bad side.

"Potion making is far subtler and more exact than anything else you will be learning here. Many think potion making doesn't count as magic. They are gravely mistaken. They can't comprehend the power of liquids flowing through human veins, bewitching the mind, and ensnaring the senses. I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory and even put a stopper in death… If you are able to learn and aren't so dimwitted you might as well be locked in a dungeon with no light," he finished as he eyed the students in his class

" _I'm glad that my first, first year lesson is with the less annoying and troublesome class..._ " Professor Snape thought as he observed the quiet and attentive students, even if it was because they were scared of him. Better they be scared than not in his opinion. They should be more likely to pay attention and be careful. Not that he was counting on it. They were just idiotic first years after all.

Elsa noticed that during Professor Snape's introduction Hannah decided to hold on to her arm in fear. Padma had also seemingly scooted closer to her as well. Elsa would admit the professor was intimidating, but it would be unqueenly if she let herself be taken in by him here. At the same time, she wasn't about to try and openly defy him or otherwise provoke him. She could already tell Professor Snape was not the type of person that would respond well to such behavior.

He seemed to be the rather serious and unpleasant type. It was probably very likely he knew his stuff and he had been teaching here for a while, so that had to mean something. Though honestly she wasn't sure how effective as a teacher he would be. She had a feeling he was the type that the talented and gifted flourished under rising higher than they ever dreamed they could or people thought they would even with their talent. Meanwhile all of the others would fall further and further behind. Elsa decided that she would do what she could to be the former rather than the latter. If she could that is.

Professor Snape looked over the students a little longer before starting to call role. Students usually would either eep out a "here" or just raise their hand. It was only the Slytherins of his house who would show any confidence and that was just because they 'actually knew' him or so they believed and they weren't in this class. Things went about as normal until he called out, "Elsa Evergreen."

"Here. Professor Snape," she replied easily and calmly as she raised her hand as well. It wasn't really an impressive reply, but given the others' lukewarm responses it stood out.

His cold black eyes rested on Miss Evergreen for a moment. She wasn't intimidated by him in the slightest he could tell. At the same time, it felt as if she would be respectful to him even if only in his class unless he drastically proved her he deserved otherwise. She had some sort of deep confidence that few had he could tell. " _She might turn out to be interesting compared to the others,_ " he thought as he started writing out the instructions for their first potion and started his class.

He felt a little odd teaching his class for the first time in many years. It was as if there were eyes on him the entire time and not in the usual manner. When he had an outburst at a Hufflepuff who almost caused his potion to explode. He could have sworn he felt eyes judging him as he went a little too far in berating the student due to losing his temper.

He looked around at one point and met icy cold eyes from Miss Evergreen. He didn't let it show but a part of him felt shocked an 11-year-old girl could have such eyes. They weren't like any other cold eyes he had seen before and he had seen a lot of them. They weren't harsh or filled with hidden rage. They were almost devoid of much emotion but not deadened and they were keen. It was a little unnerving, but a part of him kept him from lashing out about it. He figured this part was from his years of 'patience' he had built up over time. In addition, it was also because there was something vaguely familiar about her last name, but he couldn't rightly place it. It was something he might look into later or not.

{-} {-} {-}

Once the class ended, Hannah Abbot gave Elsa and Padma a bow in thanks before running off to join a girl from her house with dark red hair in a braid. The other Ravenclaws converged on Elsa and Padma as they made their way to DADA together. "I can't figure out what to make of Professor Snape…" Elsa said unknowingly still in her 'Queen' mode. Fortunately, the area didn't have the slight chill that sometimes came with it. She had entered it as a way to keep strong during Potions.

"What's there ta get? The Man's a right frightful pain! Ya see how he went off on that Puff?" Morag said her accent more pronounced than usual. The other girls nodded in agreement to her.

"True…" Elsa started in a very calm and even voice. The girls might have been a little startled by this side of her, since they were seeing it for the first time. They however didn't really mention it, but they were studying Elsa. "However, if he hadn't reacted quickly and stopped the student the potion would have exploded. Though he was a bit excessive in his reprimand afterwards."

"The man's right intimidating! I wouldn't 'ave been surprised if the kid pissed himself in fear from that and has nightmares tonight," Morag said.

"I might have nightmares tonight and I wasn't even the one he scolded… Professor Snape's eyes were so… cold…" Lisa said as she trailed off and looked to Elsa. The girl paused in her steps and blinked. She hadn't seen Elsa's eyes like that yet. The usually bright blue eyes were icy and still. This didn't seem like the Elsa who came up with the Accounting theory.

"How were you able to remain so calm, Elsa… I mean the way you answered during role. It was as if you weren't at all intimidated by him. I… I… well I felt a little safer… if that makes any sense," Padma said.

"I wasn't intimidated by him," Elsa answered easily.

Padma didn't know how to describe the feeling she had. It was as if she was in the presence of someone powerful and intelligent. Sure Elsa was intelligent, she was in Ravenclaw after all, and she could see Elsa becoming powerful after their Charms class. However, she felt like she was with someone who had been extremely powerful for years and extremely competent with magic. Someone who people would gladly follow. It was like Elsa was a warrior princess of yore from the tales she heard of countries to the north. Elsa was beautiful, smart, and strong. Padma unknowingly decided to nickname Elsa "The Ravenclaw Princess". It was a title with respect and not belittling her.

Later she would talk to the other girls about her thoughts and they would share theirs as classes went on. They too would use the nickname and it eventually would spread especially once a pair of twins overheard it, but that was not today. Right now they had DADA to attend. They all had high hopes for this class and they were a little curious how it would play out given the whole year took it at the same time.

Lisa and a couple of others were a little relieved when Elsa's mood seemed to go back a little to its usual. "I hope this class is interesting. This class should be as useful if not more than Charms seems like it will be," she said with a smile.

"I'm kind of looking forward to having a class with the whole year at the same time. I wonder why we have it with the whole year?" Mandy said in thought. It didn't really make sense in her mind to have such a class be so large.

"I've heard the Defense Against the Dark Arts position is jinxed," Padma said.

"So then I guess they combined classes to make it more enticing to potential Professors? You know like 'Oh don't worry about the rumors saying it's jinxed. Look at it this way you'll be teaching less classes than the other professors. You won't have to put in as much time getting lessons prepared because each year has the one class and thus progress at the same rate'. Something like that?" Mandy asked getting thoughtful nods in return.

Once they entered the classroom, they heard the buzz of students talking to each other and finding seats. It looked like many students took this as a chance to sit with other people they hadn't really had a lot of classes with yet including some of the Slytherins. There were a few Slytherins sitting together and looking as if they were above mixing with the others outside of their house. Unsurprisingly, the group consisted of Draco, Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy. The hard faced girl was giving looks to the others as if daring them to try and approach Draco with her there. She spared Elsa an extra hard look that didn't at all faze the princess.

Padma immediately went and sat with her sister. Parvati's usual cheerful personality would be refreshing after Potions class she had decided. Plus it might be a good idea to warn her about Professor Snape. The other Ravenclaws seemed to also decide to sit with others in the class room, since it was already fairly well mixed.

Elsa calmly walked over to Hermione and smiled as she asked, "Mind if I sit here?"

"Sure. You didn't have to ask," Hermione said as she looked over Elsa. Her friend seemed a little off or something. "How was Potions?" she asked.

"Unfortunately you all will have it with the Slytherins," Elsa replied calmly as Harry and Ron let out resigned sighs. They knew it in the back of their minds because they had their last class with the Slytherins, but hearing Elsa say it really drove it home.

"I'm not sure about Professor Snape. He was usually calm, collected and definitely authoritative. He kind of goes a little overboard when someone messes up their potion. He's the kind of teacher that could come off as a bit intimidating. I don't know what it will be like for you guys, but you should probably try to just listen and not really try to stand out a lot. I don't think he's the kind of teacher that would appreciate that," Elsa said as she got her things out for the class.

Each of the Gryffindores took mental notes from what she said, or well tried to. Whether they managed or not varied between them. "Have any of you heard anything about this class?" she asked.

Harry gave a nod. "I actually met Professor Quirrell already." He was surprised when Elsa's blue eyes were focusing on him along with Hermione's brown eyes as they listened. It was a little odd how attentive they were. "He was ummm… A little twitchy and odd but he seemed friendly enough. Hagrid said he had a bad encounter with a vampire in Albania and that's why he's the way he is now."

"When did you meet him?" Ron asked.

"When I went to Diagon Alley to get my school things. He was in the Leaky Cauldron," Harry answered just as the doors to the class room opened and the DADA Professor made his way to the front of the classroom.

He seemed fidgety and occasionally he would look from side to side as if he saw something only he could sense. "W-w-well… I'm P-p-professor Quirrell and t-this is Defense Against the D-d-dark Arts. Open your books to the first chapter a-a-and lets s-start reading it. A-a-anyone want to s-s-start us?" He looked around hopefully.

Elsa shifted back to her 'Queen' mode without realizing it as she raised her hand. "A-a-h y-y-yes Miss Evergreen start at the top of page— "

"Will we be using wands in this class, Professor?" she asked cutting him off.

"E-e-excuse me? W-w-wands? No no I don't think using m-m-magic is a good i-i-idea… S-s-something might happen," he answered her looking a little scared when he met her gaze. Everyone else might think that was just because he always did, but this time it wasn't. He went a bit rigid when her now icy blue eyes narrowed and she gave a disappointed frown. " _What is her deal? That power…_ " he thought to himself as he kept himself from wincing at the voice in the back of his head.

He resumed his trembling once he realized he had been too rigid and clam for what was expected of him. "W-w-well a-a-are you g-g-going to r-r-read the p-p-passage?" he asked her almost meekly. Elsa gave a mental sigh as she started reading and the other students groaned at the answer to her question.

Once her turn to read was over, Elsa did take some notes, but it seemed Professor Quirrell was the type who didn't have anything to say beyond the book. He would stop them to explain something further, but usually it was more or less exactly what a footnote said. "At least he, uses visual aids," she muttered causing a student nearby to chuckle quietly as he told them to look to the diagram on the page in their book. Hermione frowned to herself as she continued to take notes.

{-} {-} {-}

It seemed to take a lot longer than it really did for the class to finally end. "Can someone please tell me why we have so many classes that don't use magic at a magic school? So far Charms is the only class I've had that we used our wands," Elsa said as she sighed and leaned on Hermione's shoulder briefly while they walked. Hermione seemed a little tense at this, but happy.

Elsa soon straightened up and asked, "Please tell me Transfiguration uses wands at least."

"It does," Harry answered easily.

"How was it anyways?" Elsa asked eagerly.

"It was good," Harry said calmly as they continued to walk.

After a minute of silence, Hermione gave a huff. "Really? That's all you're going to say about the class, Harry?"

Harry actually gave a slight chuckle as he said, "I figured you'd want to tell her everything, Hermione." It wasn't exactly true. He planned on leaving it at that, but decided he needed to cover for himself when Hermione put him on the spot like that.

Hermione blushed, but then happily did just that. "The class was so amazing! Professor McGonagall really knows her stuff too!" Hermione beamed with the same level of pride Lisa had when she told them about Professor Flitwick being a well-known duelist earlier.

"The amazing part was when she turned her desk into a pig as a demonstration before turning it back. Then we started working on our first project! Turning a match into a needle. I almost had it but mine was still a little too rough. She gave us homework too," Hermione said sounding happy about getting a homework assignment.

"Oh yeah… Professor Snape gave us homework as well," Elsa said with a nod.

"Hey Elsa, what is the rest of your schedule like?" Hermione asked.

"I was meaning to ask you the same," Elsa answered. The group stopped as the two girls got their schedules out to compare.

"So we have Astronomy together tomorrow and everyone has flying lessons at the end of the day on Thursday," Elsa repeated. Hermione gave a frown. "Is something wrong?" Elsa asked in concern.

"I'm just a little nervous about the whole flying thing. I mean I knew we would learn how to fly on a broomstick, but it just seems a little scary…" Hermione said as she looked forward.

"Are you kidding me?" Ron asked. "Flying's great! Though I've never really done too much of it, especially on my own."

Harry actually smiled widely as he said, "I'm actually looking forward to that class the most right now. I think it sounds brilliant!" Elsa couldn't help but smile at his eagerness. Harry usually seemed rather mellow and not the good kind of mellow.

Hermione gave a sigh as she said, "I'm still worried about it. What if you crash or something?"

Elsa took a moment to think about this and then asked, "Have you ever flown before, Hermione?"

"Yes I have. I've gone on trips with my family during the summer holidays before," she answered not seeing how that mattered. Being on an airplane was one thing, being on a broomstick was another.

"If an airplane crashes, it's probably worse than if a broom crashes. I highly doubt they'll have us fly really high up in the sky anyways. I also doubt we'll be allowed to knock each other off or something like that," Elsa said.

"I don't know. I still think an airplane would be safer…" Hermione started. Elsa gave a sigh. Hermione immediately added, "But I'll give it a try."

"That is all we're supposed to do for the class," Elsa said. Hermione still didn't seem fully convinced, but she was determined at least and they did still have a couple of days before they took their first flying lesson.

{-} {-} {-}

Wednesday came and again Elsa took her morning run. She still got a few looks again, but it seemed a few just didn't really care to understand anymore. Some might have heard how even Snape didn't intimidate her yesterday and so they were too impressed to even care that she was wearing, in their opinion, odd clothes. While many students wore muggle clothes during their free time, they didn't really wear workout clothes.

"So today we have Transfiguration with Hufflepuff and then Herbology and History with Slytherin. Also we have flying lessons with all of the houses?" Mandy asked Elsa again to confirm what she told them about Gryffindor classes from yesterday.

Elsa gave a nod. "I'm just glad we don't have to be with Slytherin all day again today. I liked having class with the Hufflepuffs yesterday."

"I'm just glad we don't have double history again," Morag said while making a sick face at the thought of that happening.

"Each class has one double a week and that is all," Padma said without hiding her relief at this. She didn't mind double classes and enjoyed them, but the idea of possibly having double history twice a week was terrifying.

{-} {-} {-}

After they had breakfast, the girls made their way to the transfiguration classroom. Elsa was really eager for this class as well. Hearing what Hermione said they did in the class made her even more excited. The Ravenclaw girls were a little early since everyone was still waiting outside the classroom. A couple of the Hufflepuffs were already there. Soon after they arrived Hannah actually gave a friendly wave and smile to Elsa and Padma. "Hey again! Hopefully this class won't be as bad as Potions was. Sorry if I was a burden on you," she said with an apologetic smile to them.

"You needn't worry," Elsa replied with a smile in return.

Padma then spoke from next to Elsa, "Parvati told me that Professor McGonagall is actually a bit intimidating as well, but she made it sound more like the professor's just strict."

"Well then I'll just make sure to behave. Thanks for the heads up," Hannah said. She sounded really relieved that McGonagall wasn't going to be just like Snape.

A few minutes before the class was supposed to start the doors opened and all of the students entered. Once all of the students were seated and the class was about to start, Professor McGonagall walked in from a door in the back of the classroom and stood tall as she took role. After calling the last name, she spoke to them with a stern expression, but it wasn't scary to the students like Professor Snape seemed to want to be. "Transfiguration is complex and dangerous. I will not tolerate any students messing about or ignoring the safety rules," she said as she gave them all a stern look.

She then added, "Complex and dangerous it may be. It is also truly wonderful and there is much you can do with it." She then pointed her wand at her desk as it transformed into a pig that ran around the room. She then called to it and the pig trotted back to her before she once again turned it back into a desk.

Even knowing it was going to happen, Elsa still found the display amazing and decided that she might make this her second favorite class. Charms was obviously her first. Seeing the display her mind was filled all kinds of wonder at the possibilities such a field in magic would have. It was amazing.

It turned out that they had to take a lot of notes before they were first allowed to learn how to change a match into a needle. Elsa gave a bit of huff to herself. Hermione definitely downplayed or didn't realize how impressive having a match that was still "a little rough" was for your first time in class, especially because they had to make a needlework needle and not a threading needle.

Shortly after they started the practical phase of their class, Morag was called out by Professor McGonagall. "Miss MacDougal! We do not light the match. That will be five points from Ravenclaw," the Transfiguration Professor gave the girl an even sterner look.

Morag blushed a little and was about to come up with an excuse, but settled for a, "Sorry, Professor McGonagall I was just curious if it was a real match."

The professor gave a shake of her head, "Get yourself a new match from the box in the front," Professor McGonagall then went back to helping a Hufflepuff with the spell.

When Morag returned with her new match, Lisa looked to her questioningly. "I'd figured she wouldn't appreciate my explanation of it making the transfiguration easier," she answered. Lisa gave a sigh and focused back on her own match.

Elsa had made some progress rather quickly, but the early result was a very sturdy and pointy but still wooden needle. She looked at it again and changed it back. By the end of the class she managed to get it right. Elsa even earned back the five points Morag lost them for how well she had done her needle. "Very good, Miss Evergreen," the professor said to her loud enough the classmates heard her.

McGonagall then thought to herself about how there were a few very talented students this year. She hadn't expected to see two first years get it right on the first day. She still didn't get what it was Hermione had meant when she claimed her needle was still a little rough.

History and Herbology turned out to be more or less class like usual that day. There weren't any epic fights with plants this time. Elsa still thought it odd that Draco again sat next to her in History. She wasn't sure what to make of that. " _If only he wasn't such a big headed arrogant boy, things might be different,_ " Elsa thought to herself as she briefly glanced at him. Draco didn't seem to notice her look, but Pansy did and she glowered at Elsa, who didn't notice it.

{-} {-} {-}

"Draco sat by me again in History. I really don't get why he does that," Elsa said with a frown as she and Hermione were again sitting in the library. They studying and working on their transfiguration homework. They were given a good bit of it and Hermione was finishing her assignment up for tomorrow.

Elsa had one more day on Transfiguration, but wanted to work on it with her friend at the moment. She was fortunately almost finished with her potions assignment and just needed to read through it one last time. Both of them had finished Charms already.

"Maybe you should ask him?" Hermione said as her eyes drifted over to the Slytherin in question at a nearby table with a couple of other Slytherin girls. She gulped when she saw the look in Pansy's eyes aimed at Elsa. " _Does she feel threatened by Elsa or something?_ " she wondered to herself. She knew Pansy hated her as well, but the look in the pug faced girl's eyes seemed extra pointed at Elsa for some reason.

"Hmmm…" Elsa said in thought as she placed a finger to her lips. "I might try that if it continues. Maybe it was just a coincidence. I might also just get used to it and leave it alone. He still hasn't really tried to start anything. I decided to not really get into something with him unless there is a real good reason. And I don't count Ron's obvious response of him being a Malfoy and in Slytherin as good enough of a reason." Elsa than gave a mischievous giggle as she added, "Plus it is a little fun to see how much it gets to Pansy."

Hermione gave a giggle to that as well. "Be careful, Elsa. She might try something."

Elsa looked at Hermione and then giggled again. "I can only hope. I'm sure she's heard about what I was like in Potions Class by now. The whole school has despite it just being yesterday." The two girls laughed to this quietly. It was actually pretty incredible how fast gossip and rumors spread at Hogwarts.

{-} {-} {-}

Elsa was happy. It was finally the Thursday. It turned out that while they were given the schedule for flying class at the start they didn't have it the first couple of weeks for some reason. Double Potions had been a bit tough, but it seemed Professor Snape decided to be a little less overbearing on the nervous students after the first week in their class. Also the princess had to admit Hannah Abbot was kind of the cute girl. She chose to sit with her and Padma again each class. It seemed that Hannah and Padma were her Potions buddies and she kind of liked that idea.

Naturally, Charms was again amazing and she sat with her Gryffindor friends for the class. Once the class ended, it seemed the rest of the Ravenclaw girls along with her decided to go to their next class together. Padma took a little longer to get her notes sorted than the others for some reason, so they waited. It wasn't easy for Elsa and so maybe it just felt like Padma was taking longer.

They were now on her way to the first Flying lesson. "Seems like we all are looking forward to this class," Mandy said smiling at the others. She then gave a giggle as she said, "Especially Elsa."

Elsa gave a scoff and shook her head. "Are you kidding me? What's not to look forward to about this class? I'm not like you all. I didn't grow up around flying broomsticks and I didn't get to enjoy the fun of a toy broomstick." She then gave them each a look and said, "Besides, you're all smiling just as much as me."

Mandy gave another giggle. "Okay. Okay. Sorry I pointed it out. I'm really looking forward to this class. Even if you had a toy broomstick, it was rather slow and only allowed to reach a height of 10 feet max. Here we get to go much higher and faster if we want!"

"I hope they have some really good brooms for us to try. I want to be racing others by the end of the class!" Lisa said with a grin.

"My sister and I had toy broomsitcks and I remember they could actually go faster than most adults running," Padma said. She then gave a smile as she said, "Our father would fetch his own broomstick to catch us. Though Parvati and I sort of just saw that as a race. He always won in the end obviously, but he would sometimes play along with us before telling us to get off and go inside. I'm really looking forward to these lessons. Maybe we'll be able to convince Father to get us or own brooms after this year and then Parvati and I can really have a race for once."

Morag paused and gave a mock surprised expression as she jokingly said, "That's got ta be the longest ya ever talked in one go to us, Padma." A couple of the girls snickered as Padma gave a small frown. Morag gave a nervous laugh as she added, "Sorry. Didn't mean ta upset you."

Padma gave a scoff as she said, "I've already gotten better. It's only been a couple of weeks since school actually started you know." She then sped up a little bit. Morag quickly caught up to her and gave a more sincere apology. Padma seemed to accept it as she and Morag waited for the others to catch up before they continued.

Elsa took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I really like how this class is outside. It isn't in the dark and dreary castle and it isn't in the stuffy greenhouses." She felt the light breeze on her face with her eyes closed for a moment.

Lisa nodded in return, "I agree with you on that."

It wasn't much longer until they arrived at the grounds where they were to have their lessons. Immediately Lisa frowned after seeing the brooms they were using for the class. Elsa could even tell these weren't exactly great brooms. Their wood was discolored in a way that suggested it wasn't some designer choice to make them that way. The straws were bent awkwardly and equally discolored. A few of them even looked like they were rotting.

"This does not look promising…" Padma said voicing everyone's thoughts. The others nodded in agreement. Elsa saw a very nervous looking Hermione, or well nervous if you knew what to look for in her. They had made some progress with getting her ready for this class, but it looked like it was ebbing away now that the class was here.

"Well Girls. I kind of think I should stay with Hermione for this lesson. Poor girl is probably scared enough as it is," Elsa said as she made her way over to her Gryffindor friend. The others were surprised Elsa figured that. Hermione didn't look any worse than the others really. Honestly, she probably looked better off then some. They shrugged their shoulders and made their way as well. They had thought about sticking together, but decided not to once Elsa went to her other friends.

Padma went to stand with Parvati and the two began to bemoan the travesty that was the school brooms much to Lavender's amusement as she giggled. The others met up with people they knew from previous classes or wanted to get to know better. Once again, Draco was with his little group and looking even smugger than usual somehow.

Hermione gave a mental whine as she chewed her bottom lip very lightly. She was doing so good about this flying lessons thing in her mind at least. Then she came here and saw the brooms. She guessed maybe they looked that bad because of some designer's choice, or at least she hoped that was the case. Next she heard others going on about how terrible the condition of the brooms were, which wasn't promising.

She might have gone further into her panicking thoughts on flying brooms, but she felt a familiar hand touch her shoulder. "Hey, Hermione!" Elsa greeted her cheerfully. Hermione felt a little more relaxed at the presence of her friend. Sure her other friends were there, but they weren't any help for her. Neville seemed as nervous as he ever did. Ron was excitedly telling Harry all about brooms and Harry was eagerly drinking it all in.

It didn't help that Seamus came over and started talking about brooms that were considered classics and their roles in Quidditch, which Ron eagerly talked about as well. They didn't seem to understand how nervous she really was when they started laughing as they made fun of the brooms on the ground in front of them. Elsa wasn't nervous like her, but the blonde girl understood her even if she was doing her best to hide her nerves.

"Hey… Elsa…" Hermione was sure her voice wasn't as nervous sounding as it just sounded to her in actuality. Elsa then gave Hermione a light and friendly hug.

"Has anyone ever told you that you are very huggable, Hermione?" Elsa asked with a hint of playfulness in her voice. Hermione felt relieved at having someone to talk to now. She knew Elsa gave her a hug in the hopes it would calm her down, but the curly haired girl was thankful nevertheless. The two talked together about anything that wasn't flying and broom related.

Hermione was feeling even better about these lessons now with Elsa lined up next to her as their instructor, Madam Hooch a woman with interesting yellow eyes, started to speak. "Welcome everyone! I'm Madam Hooch. Flight instructor and often Quidditch referee here at Hogwarts. This will be your first flying lesson of the year. I know some of you know a thing or two about flying already, but you are all going to start at the same level as the others. It is often surprising how many of you 'expert' broom flyers have been doing things wrong this whole time," she said earning a few chuckles and a couple of blushes from people who claimed to be such an expert.

"Now to begin. Stand to the side of your broom. Place your hand over it, and say 'Up' clearly." She then stood in position and demonstrated. "Up" she commanded and the broom shot into her hand. There were a few 'woahs' from the students causing the instructor to smile. She loved this part of her job. She also loved the other part of her job as well even if it was difficult for anyone to see everything that happened in a game of Quidditch.

"Now I want all of you to try," she said with a friendly if slightly mischievous smile gracing her lips.

"Up!" shouted several students with different degrees of enthusiasm and equally different responses from the brooms. Harry's shot straight into his hand almost as if it was begging to be ridden by the boy. Malfoy's slowly ascended and he was secretly glad very few actually noticed this. Hermione's broom rolled over but stayed on the ground causing the girl to feel irritated as she let out a little growl.

Elsa was thankful for her Queen training as she saw this. She actually found her friend's reaction a little cute and endearing. If Hermione ever gained confidence in herself and managed to do a little something about her hair, the girl would be a heart breaker with such reactions. She just knew it. Judging by Lavender's eyes it seemed the 'gossip and fashion obsessed' girl thought the same.

The princess actually waited a little to see what happened first when it came to her broom. She then placed her hand over the broom and calmly said, "Up." The broom shot up at a fast but reasonable pace into her waiting hand. Hermione saw this and gave another sigh before trying again. Hermione was a little jealous of Elsa just then, but at the same time it seemed right that she would get this quickly.

{-} {-} {-}

It had taken a little time, but every student now had a broom in their hand and waited for further instruction from Madam Hooch. Malfoy, who thought he knew better, mounted his broom right away. Elsa was proud of the fact she managed to hide the laugh that tried to escape her lips when the instructor lectured Draco on how to properly hold a broomstick.

"I've always done it like this," he bellowed to her with a slight frown.

"Then you've always been doing it wrong!" Madam Hooch said before going into detail about how his stance was not only wrong, but also dangerous. Elsa wasn't laughing at that. Instead she was frowning at Malfoy and thinking that he better listen to the instructor here. Arrogance was a bad thing to begin with, but if it cost you your life because you wouldn't listen to someone, it was even worse. The princess was surprised that she actually seemed to care that much for the boy. She chalked it up to her natural compassion.

"Now then…. Since everyone is finally sorted…" Madam Hooch shot a frown at Draco here. "Let's continue the lesson. Now that you are all using the proper standard stance on a broom, we will launch into the sky. To do this you must push hard off the ground."

A few students got ready by tensing their muscles and focusing. "When I count to three we will then push off," Madam Hooch said. She then looked them over to make sure they understood before she started to count. "One…. Two…" She never made it to three.

Neville was super nervous here and despite his better judgement he wanted to be the first in the air to show the others he wasn't just a nervous wreck. He pushed off at 'two'.

"Mr. Longbottom get back down here this instance!" Madam Hooch shouted. This unfortunately made Neville even more nervous and he wasn't able to concentrate on getting back down. Besides, she never told them how to get back down. She just told them how to launch into the air.

"Woah! Woah! What's happening!" the boy shouted as he seemed to fly higher and higher into the air faster and faster. Just as Madam Hooch launched, Neville lost control of the broom and fell off. Madam Hooch's eyes widened and she quickly cast a cushioning charm but it wasn't fully formed when the boy crashed on to the ground.

Elsa's eyes widened and she along with the others rushed over to see if their friend was alright. Madam Hooch got there first and examined him as the boy cried a little despite his attempts not to do so. The instructor frowned in concern as she examined his wrist. She gave a sigh and said, "Your wrist is broken. Come with me, Neville. Madam Pomfrey will get you fixed up." Her voice was surprisingly gentle as she helped Neville up and made her way to the castle.

She then turned around and sternly said, "Don't any of you use your brooms! If I catch you flying while I'm gone, you'll be out of her quicker than you can say Quidditch!" Her yellow eyes seemed to add to the gravity of her statement for most people.

Unfortunately, Draco Malfoy was not one of those people. He started off by saying something unpleasant about Neville. Elsa didn't like it. She was just guessing when she gave her response, but she was pretty sure it was a good guess. "Careful Draco," she started calmly, far too calmly for comfort and using a tone that wasn't mocking but rather cautious and seemingly knowledgeable. "It wouldn't be wise to go around badmouthing the future heir to the Longbottom family that causally. If it happens too often it might start a blood feud."

Elsa knew a few things about Neville's family. She knew they were also business partners with Arendelle and in particular the Royal family. She knew their family was respected and not one you would want to get on the bad side of eagerly. Some of the students were looking at her surprised at her statement because it was right and she seemed to know it, even if she wasn't a pure blood witch herself.

Only Elsa managed to notice Draco's eyes widen in horror for a split second or two, the boy then looked to the ground and in an attempt to get attention and people forgetting what he said earlier. He picked up an orb like object. "Look. He forgot his memoryubewhatsit," he said before giving a chuckle. "A bit useless if you ask me. How the bloody hell are you supposed to remember what you forgot just because it changes colors?" He got chuckles from this and even Hermione had to admit to herself he had a point.

Draco smirked at the response. He then said, "Maybe I should do him a favor and get rid of it for him?" He then picked it up to cheers from Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle. Harry frowned and stepped forward with a serious look and started to speak.

"What's that thing supposed to do?" Elsa asked quietly as she looked to Hermione and mostly ignored whatever it was Draco and Harry were saying to each other.

"It's a remembrall. It turns red if you forget something. Draco kind of has a point about it being useless really," Hermione said also not fully paying attention to what was happening until she gasped and Harry rose into the air as well. "Harry! You heard Madam Hooch!" she called to him but it seemed he didn't hear her.

Harry had to admit he loved flying. If he wasn't concerned for his friend's remembrall, even if he figured it was ultimately useless, he might have been able to enjoy this moment even more. He was at least enjoying the look of shock and surprise on Draco's face. Harry actually gave a bit of a smirk as he said, "Not so brave up here are you, Malfoy? No Crabbe or Goyle to save you here. No sycophant fangirl either."

Draco seemed to recover at hearing Harry's words. "Well. Well. It seems you might actually have some worth after all, Potter," he said before barely dodging Harry as the boy shot forward faster than he had ever seen someone fly before. In that instant, he almost lost his own balance and realized that maybe Madam Hooch was right about his old stance being wrong.

The Malfoy heir gave a scoff to cover up his shock, but it wasn't anywhere nearly as effective as he wanted it to be. He then said, "If you think you are so good Potter than how about you get it for him?!" He grinned as he threw the light weight orb towards the castle with all of his might.

His robes actually ruffled as the small blur that was Potter shot past him with impressive speed. Draco soon regained his wits and quickly landed. There was no way he would risk his time over such a stupid thing any further. It was probably about time for the flight instructor to return. He tried to give a smirk as if Harry shooting towards the school was all a part of his plan.

His smirk fooled most of the students, but there was a pair of judging and icy blue eyes on him. He gave a small involuntary shiver as he looked towards Elsa before she looked away to watch Harry with awe. " _What is with her? Why is she soooo… perceptive?_ " he thought to himself. He could tell she had seen right through him somehow.

After Elsa looked away from Draco, her eyes widened in awe as she watched Harry speed towards the castle and then go into a daring and dangerous dive as he easily reached out and grabbed the remembrall. It then seemed as if pulling out of such a dive was just as natural to him as forming a snowball was to her. "Wow…" Elsa said in a breathy and impressed voice as she watched it all happen before her eyes.

She couldn't help but blush as she felt her heart skip a beat as Harry rose triumphantly with the orb in hand to the cheers of the other students. She was even further impressed with her first and best male friend knowing he only did all of that for Neville's sake and not to show off in front of the others. Her blush intensified as her mind sent her images that she couldn't shake off too easily. The only reason why her blush disappeared was the sight of a stern Professor McGonagall making her way over to Harry rather quickly.

" _Please don't let me lose Harry already!_ " she pleaded silently as she feared what would happen to him for being caught up in the air without Madam Hooch watching them. She felt a little worse as the Professor spluttered over some words before dragging Harry off. She wanted to chase after him as did both Ron and Hermione, but they were all stunned a few seconds too long and Madam Hooch returned.

Elsa put thoughts about Harry's fate to the side for the mean time. She would hate it to no end if he really was expelled because of what happened, but her Queenly side took over and she focused on her lessons. She needed to learn all she could about magic for the sake of her sister and her whole nation. It didn't matter if her first friend outside of the castle was expelled. It didn't matter if she would never see him again because of that. She would just have to sacrifice her own happiness in that area for the sake of her much beloved country and citizens.

Elsa's demeanor might have been a little cooler than it was moments ago, but she was centered and focused. There was also a part of her that decided to make the best of flying lessons and excel at the skill of flying for Harry's sake if nothing else. She could tell he loved it the way he flew after that orb. She would have to learn to love it just as much, even if it was just in memory of him. Perhaps she was going a little overboard imagining the worst case here, but it was what it was.

Hermione was in awe at everything that had happened. She was deeply troubled when Harry was carted away by Professor McGonagall. Once Madam Hooch returned and told them to get ready to fly again, her fears of broomstick flying returned in full force as she remembered what happened to Neville. Hermione shook a little and swallowed. She wasn't able to keep 'cool' anymore. In the end, this actually seemed to play into her favor.

Elsa's sister instincts seemed to kick in once she noticed Hermione's state. There was then a part of Elsa that told her to hold on even tighter to her remaining friends in case Harry was really expelled after all. Elsa smiled in a slightly warm fashion, it wasn't near her usual level but most wouldn't be able to tell the difference. She then grabbed Hermione's hand and said to her quietly, "I'll hold your hand the whole time." Hermione quickly reached out and sighed in relief when the princess grabbed it.

Hermione felt calmer while holding her friend's hand. There was something about Elsa that caused the bushy haired girl to relax. She was going to hold that hand, but she needed to use both hands to launch. She turned and gave a weary smile as she replied, "After we're in the air." Elsa nodded to that with the same smile still gracing her lips.

"Alright… Let's do this again. No one! I repeat No one take off until after I am in the air," she counted to three and took off into the air. She was followed by the whole class and soon Hermione and Elsa got into a somewhat comfortable position as the bushy haired girl grabbed the blonde's hand.

Madam Hooch might have said something, but Hermione kept her proper hand on the broom. Elsa adjusted her hold into something that was acceptable, and held the other girl's hand. Madam Hooch also noticed they weren't flying as high as some of the others and so she could tell Elsa was merely helping a nervous friend get used to flying and feel safe. She let the two girls be and she quietly raised her wand as she said, "Ten points to Ravenclaw." She didn't make a big show of points like the other teachers did and she could tell Elsa at this moment wouldn't have cared about such a thing.

{-} {-} {-}

As the first flying lesson ended, Elsa let out a breath and smiled. It ended up being fun in the end. "Harry. I'll enjoy flying as much as you did in your remembrance," she said quietly and still being a bit over dramatic.

"Can you believe how amazing that was, Elsa?!" Hermione said her eyes a light with excitement and happiness. "It was a bit scary at first, but it was so amazing! Next time we'll fly higher and faster!" She then took a couple of breaths and calmed down. "I think 15-20 feet off the ground was plenty enough for our first time."

Elsa gave a smile instead of giggling like part of her wanted to do. She then said, "Yes and going at a decent jog's pace was good too." She personally wanted to go much higher and faster, but she knew Hermione wouldn't have been able to do that yet. She looked to the brown haired girl who was grinning and nodding her head fast in response.

Elsa's smile grew. " _Actually… flying with a friend is probably much better than flying higher and faster than the others alone,_ " she thought to herself. Seeing her friend's smile was very heart warming. "Let's go back into the castle," she said to Hermione who quickly grabbed her hand and they made their way back.

Hermione leaned into Elsa and said, "Thanks for helping me with flying today. It really meant a lot to me." The girls held hands a little longer before they let go and settled into a comfortable atmosphere.

Elsa frowned and gave a sigh. "I hope Harry is alright…" She said that as they walked the halls. Hermione nodded as well.

"At least… If nothing else… His flying was the most brilliant thing ever," Hermione said with a sad smile.

The mourning the two felt for their friend was suddenly put on hold. The rounded a corner and saw a confused but happy looking Harry standing in front of them. "Harry?!" Elsa asked before running over to him. "What's going on? Are you okay? You don't really seem too sad…"

"What happened after you left flying lessons? Did… Did… Did you get… expelled?" Hermione asked weakly the horror of such a prospect obvious in her eyes.

Harry blinked in confusion for a moment before he gasped having remembered Madam Hooch's warning before taking Neville away. He then gave an uneasy smile and nervous laugh. "Ummm… No….?" he answered unsurely. Elsa gave him a look and he realized he had to explain it to them. "I've been recruited for the Gryffindor Quidditch team… I'll be playing Seeker." He couldn't help but smile brightly at what happened this day.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Snitches, Quaffles, and Bludgers

The mourning the two felt for their friend was suddenly put on hold. They rounded a corner and saw a confused but happy looking Harry standing in front of them. "Harry?!" Elsa asked before running over to him. "What's going on? Are you okay? You don't really seem too sad…"

"What happened after you left flying lessons? Did… Did you get… expelled?" Hermione asked weakly the horror of such a prospect obvious in her eyes.

Harry blinked in confusion for a moment before he gasped having remembered Madam Hooch's warning before taking Neville away. He then gave an uneasy smile and a nervous laugh. "Ummm… No….?" he answered unsurely. Elsa gave him a look and he realized he had to explain it to them. "I've been recruited for the Gryffindor Quidditch team… I'll be playing Seeker." He couldn't help but smile brightly at what happened this day.

(Chapter start)

Elsa couldn't help but blush yet again as her heart fluttered at Harry's smile. She also partly noticed Hermione reacting in a similar fashion. Elsa then came to her senses and blinked. "Wait… You mean you weren't expelled?" she asked not hiding her surprise at this information.

Harry was still grinning as he ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. "Nope! I'm on the Quidditch team. They even made an exception to the no first years can't have a broom rule for me. I should get it in a week or two."

"Really?" Hermione asked. She then frowned in puzzlement as she said, "But after what happened with Neville…" She trailed off into her own thoughts.

Harry's green eyes widened as he exclaimed, "Neville!" He then started making his way to the Hospital Wing. Hermione and Elsa blushed in embarrassment at forgetting to check on Neville right away and followed Harry.

It wasn't too far of a walk for them to get to the Hospital Wing. They entered and saw Neville sitting on a bed and Ron talking to him. "Hey, guys," Neville greeted them more cheerful than someone who just broke their wrist rightfully should.

"You alright?" Harry asked.

Neville nodded, "Ron was just telling me about how you saved my remembrall. Thanks!"

Harry gave a nod and said, "Professor McGonagall said it would be returned to your bed in the dorm."

"That's a relief. So you didn't get expelled because of me?" Neville asked hopefully.

Harry shook his head. "I'm the Gryffindor Seeker."

"What?! For real?!" Ron asked in awe. Harry nodded. "Blimey… You've got to be the youngest seeker in… I don't know how long…"

"A Century. Oliver Wood told me about that as he briefly explained things to me. I'm getting a broom and everything," Harry said smiling again.

"That's crazy. The good kind of crazy, but still pretty crazy," Neville said.

"I know right? Once I get my broom, I'll be having lessons with Oliver Wood and the rest of the team," Harry said.

Ron gave a sage like nod. "Oliver knows his stuff really well. Fred and George say he's crazy, but I just tell them. It's Quidditch. You can't get crazy about Quidditch. Oh yeah the twins are on the team too. They're beaters."

Harry and Neville both gave a laugh to that. "That's sounds very fitting for them," Neville said. Ron nodded with a grin.

"So Neville how long do you have to stay here?" Hermione asked.

Neville blushed a little. "I have to stay here for a couple of hours. I really shouldn't have panicked like that. It's embarrassing. Ron told me no one else got hurt, which is good, but still is embarrassing for me."

"Hey don't worry about it, mate." Ron clapped Neville on the shoulder. "It is too bad. You should have seen the way Crabbe and Goyle kept crash landing. Madam Hooch said their brooms didn't like them. Fortunately, she used a massive area cushioning charm after… you know…" Neville nodded in understanding.

Elsa decided to come over to Neville and look at his wrist. The boy blushed again at her closeness. He didn't mind it, but it wasn't something he was used to yet. "It really is incredible how easily magic can heal," Elsa said with a hint of awe in her voice. She then looked to her friend a little sternly as she said, "Don't you ever do something stupid like that again, Neville."

Neville looked down a little and nodded slowly to her. She then smiled again. "Well you are okay now at least, or will be in a couple of hours."

"That will be just in time for supper," Ron said with a nod.

Elsa then had a weird thought and asked, "What is wizard hospital food like?"

The two boys born into wizarding families were in thought for a moment. "I've never had it myself, but I've heard it's not too bad. Not as good as actual cooking, but not too bad," Neville answered.

Ron seemed to just give a slow nod in agreement before asking "Why did you ask?"

"Muggle hospital food is notorious for being really bad. Extra bland and not enjoyable at all," Elsa answered.

"I hate it," Hermione answered surprising them. She then blushed as she said, "I short of accidentally broke my elbow once when I was younger. Had to stay there for a few days. I hated it. They at least had books to read."

"Woah… You mean you had to stay in the hospital for a few days just because of a broken elbow?" Ron asked unable to grasp his mind around it.

"Muggle healing is a slower process. Sometimes if you have a really bad injury you have to stay even longer," she answered.

"It really is weird how different things are between the muggle and the magical. In some ways muggle technology seems more advanced by a lot, but in other cases magic is way ahead of the muggle world," Neville said in a thoughtful voice.

Ron gave him a look as he said, "Geez, man we need to get you out of here. If you keep thinking about things like that, you'll turn into a younger version of Percy,"

Hermione was about to huff at him and go on about how it wasn't bad to be smart. She was cut off though when Elsa gave a laugh causing Harry and Neville to laugh as Ron grinned. Hermione was a little lost. She didn't see how it was a joke, but it seemed like it was. She really needed to learn more about interacting with friends. Books would tell you if someone said they were using a joking tone or not. Real life wasn't as convenient.

They all visited Neville for a bit longer, but finally left to enjoy some free time before supper that night. Madam Pomfrey also kind of shooed them out saying they were disturbing her other patients. As they were walking down the hall, Hermione gave a gasp causing the others to pause to look at her. She sheepishly grabbed Elsa's arm and said, "I just realized I needed to talk to Elsa about some… girl stuff."

Elsa was confused but didn't let it show. She simply followed Hermione as Harry and Ron exchanged shrugs and continued to go on. Ron was telling Harry all about how awesome Quidditch was... again. This time Harry was paying even more attention than usual. He wanted to know as much as he could before his first actual practice.

"So what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" Elsa asked Hermione once they were further away from the others.

Hermione turned to her with a serious face and asked, "What do we do now? I mean Harry is **on** the Quidditch team. He's even more likely to become just as bad as Ron is about it."

"Do you think he really will?" Elsa asked,

Hermione nodded, "You heard Ron. He said even the twins call Oliver Wood Quidditch crazy. In response to that he said, 'you can't get crazy about Quidditch'."

Elsa was in thought and had visions of Harry and Ron constantly shouting out Quidditch facts as a form of conversation and later being joined by both Seamus and Neville. She actually shuddered at the thought. "We'll just have to make sure we talk to him about other things instead. I'm hoping and thinking that Ron's brand of Quidditch crazy isn't something others would catch. Maybe being around this Oliver person will show him just how abnormal it is to be Quidditch crazy to that scale. I'm not sure what else we can do except find a way to force him off the team."

Hermione frowned and said, "We don't want to go that far. Do we?"

Elsa shook her head. "No, we don't. He's so happy to be on the team. I think his happiness comes more from being a part of a team as opposed to playing the sport itself." Hermione nodded to that. She had much the same idea. "We'll just watch for now and if it seems like he will be getting that bad then we'll do something about it."

It wasn't the best solution, but it was their only solution to prevent the spread of the Quidditch Crazy Disease (QCD for short). They were both really wanting to actually learn more about the game, since a friend was playing it now, but there were limits to how much Quidditch talk the could handle. Hermione then gave a sigh, "These next couple of weeks might really be bad though…" Elsa merely nodded in agreement.

{-} {-} {-}

When it came to supper that night, Elsa ended up sitting far away from where here friends at Gryffindor sat to eat. She frowned when Draco with his two big and mean shadows confronted Harry. She couldn't make out what they had talked about, but she had a feeling it wasn't good. Ron looked livid and the two shouted at each other. She couldn't make out their words above the rest of the ruckus of the dining hall during supper time, but she was sure it was bad news.

She had tried to catch up to them and ask what was going on, but the group of Gryffindors disappeared quickly. Elsa gave a sigh and made her way to Ravenclaw tower. She would just have to ask one of her friends tomorrow what happened. She hoped it wasn't too bad.

Elsa woke up and after doing her usual morning run she went to breakfast with the friends in her dorm. She was relieved that it seemed no one really even stared at her when she walked back from her run in her workout clothes anymore. She shouldn't have been surprised. It had been a couple of weeks since school started after all.

She had expected today to be an alright day, but not really great. Class wise she had Double Transfiguration and Double DADA, which was really just a slightly longer class period. This is why the schedule said they didn't have anything fourth period that day. It didn't even always go a little longer from what she had heard older students say regarding their first year of the class.

DADA was boring, and usually her friends weren't in the best of moods when the class started since they had double Potions before it. They had followed her advice, but they still said they didn't like the class and it seemed Professor Snape really had it in for them. She wasn't sure if they were exaggerating or not to be honest. Snape was more or less sufferable in her class, but there wasn't any way to know what he was like in his other classes.

One thing Elsa hadn't expected was for her friends to burst into the dining hall shortly after her. Hermione was upset as she said, "I kept telling you two it wasn't a good idea… But no… You wouldn't listen to me. Could you two please not accept any more duels? Then there was that thing…"

"What thing?" Elsa asked. The group paused and looked ashamed at hearing her question. They exchanged looks to each other as if they weren't sure if they should tell her or not. Elsa narrowed her eyes at them as she asked calmly, "What were you talking about?"

Harry swallowed and quickly explained to her quietly so no one else would overhear them. When he was finished, Elsa wasn't sure what to think. She simply looked them over again before going to sit down at her table making a point to show she wanted distance for now. Her friends got the hint.

She was confused. She wanted to scold them for doing something that stupid and almost getting caught or hurt because of it. She also wanted to scold them for going off and having an adventure without her, even if that wasn't their intention. On top of that, part of her was angry. If they actually had the duel and beat Malfoy, which she was sure would be the case, why did they think she wouldn't want to see that?

At lunch, she noticed they were looking to her warily. She made a point to just eat her lunch quietly before heading to Double DADA. Elsa wasn't too surprised when the others caught up to her soon after she left. She sighed as they still tried to keep their distance. "You shouldn't have gone and done something that stupid, Harry," she said.

Harry swallowed. He was relieved she was at least talking to them it seemed. Still her calm and steady voice was a lot harder to deal with than Hermione's carrying on loudly earlier. He felt as if he was disappointing a mother or someone else who was just as important.

Elsa frowned as she turned around. "The thing I don't like the most is that, you all went exploring the castle without me though." She then headed into the class as the others stood there contemplating her words before following her.

"We really didn't mean to end up going all over the castle like that you know," Ron started as he sat next to her boldly.

Elsa frowned at him, but didn't tell him to get away or leave her alone. "You all still went to a midnight duel without me."

"But it never was going to happen. Draco was never going to show up," he said again.

"That's beside the point," Elsa said to him pointedly. Ron didn't really get it at the moment, but he decided that it would be better if he shut up on the subject. He also decided to move a seat over from her instead. Having two girls as friends made things difficult for him, but he was starting to kind of get things. Plus he liked them both as friends.

Hermione just gave a small but heartfelt, "I'm sorry, Elsa." She then sat down next to Elsa. It seemed that did the trick and Harry followed suit.

He kind of thought he understood now. She didn't like being left out. He wasn't sure why he didn't think to invite her. Hermione came even though she carried on about breaking rules and all of that. Elsa they knew wasn't a complete rebel, but she also wasn't really a stickler for the rules either.

Neville decided to speak up hoping to make up for not bringing her along by asking, "Do you want to look around tonight? I mean I guess it wouldn't be too bad. Let's just make sure not to go near that place again. Also we can actually look instead of just running around blindly try not to be spotted."

Elsa gave him a sorrowful look. "I'm sorry. I can't tonight."

"What's going on?" Harry asked.

"Mandy decided all of us Ravenclaw first year girls should have a sleepover tonight," Elsa said she did smile a little despite wishing she could go exploring the castle with them instead. Exploring was something she loved and needed to get on top of doing around the castle.

"But we pretty much always have a sleepover with our dorm mates…" Hermione said a little puzzled.

"That doesn't really count. She means like an actual sleepover party. Where we do something other than just study and talk a little. She has a couple of games planned for us to all enjoy tonight. She wants to make it something that happens many times actually. A different one of us will plan it out for the others each time. Though I get a feeling most of our activities will end up being very similar," Elsa explained.

"That sounds fun," Hermione said wishfully.

Elsa looked to her with a concerned frown as she asked, "Have you made any progress with the other girls in your dorm room?"

Hermione looked a little sheepish as she turned away and blushed. "Hermione we talked about this before a few times," Elsa started.

"I know. It's just… well… You know…" Hermione actually didn't have any actual answers. Also since they had kind of upset Elsa earlier, she wasn't about to try and get into too much of an argument on the matter. She knew Elsa wanted to help her.

"Hermione. You won't really make any other friends if you don't try," Elsa said.

Hermione still looking away only nodded before muttering, "Maybe I don't want any other friends."

Elsa would have asked her about what she said, but the professor walked into the classroom and started lecturing. Elsa usually tried to pretend she was paying attention in the class sometimes. It wasn't like he added anything to what the book said though. She most of the time just gave up pretending.

{-} {-} {-}

Harry had to try really hard to concentrate on his classes the next couple of weeks. He was really excited about getting his own broom and finally playing some Quidditch. The truth was if Hermione and Elsa weren't his friends he probably wouldn't have really tried hard to pay attention in classes with a couple exceptions.

He was a little curious why it was Hermione kept trying to steer their conversations away from what was probably the greatest sport ever invited in the universe, or at least according to Ron it was. Elsa didn't mind them talking a little bit about the sport, but she actually managed to bring up other interesting topics as well. If Harry didn't know better, he would say the two had formed some kind of Anti-Quidditch Coalition or something.

It was once again another Friday. Harry never thought in his life he could hate Fridays. Even when he was with the Dursleys he kind of looked forward to Fridays because it meant no school for the next two days. He sometimes even got to sleep in a little on Saturdays since both Vernon and Dudley did. However, at Hogwarts Fridays weren't really that great. He had to put up with his two more disappointing classes, Double Potions and Double DADA, even if the latter wasn't a true double class.

He had followed Elsa's advice regarding Snape, but it seemed the man's hate for Gryffindor, and by extension him, was too great for him to just get through the class peacefully. DADA was alright if he sat next to Elsa or Ron, but Neville and Hermione kept paying attention even if only by habit. The two of them hadn't taken up Elsa's advice on how you just needed to read the books to get the same information out of the class. Heck, he actually enjoyed reading the books more than the class. Books didn't constantly jump at small noises, or check over their shoulders, or worse yet stutter so incredibly badly.

The sad truth was his favorite DADA class was the one where he sat on one side of Elsa and Ron on the other. They played Hangman. It was actually really fun to play with either of them. It was also interesting to watch the two figure out the other's word. Elsa seemed to be better at the game than Ron. Hermione he noticed rolled her eyes at the three of them for a good part of that class.

Harry could at least look forward to the actual weekends here, but that was the only good thing to usually come of a Friday. That was something really big to look forward to though. Weekends at Hogwarts were so very different. He could sleep in as late as he wanted, usually 8-9 in the morning, and he always seemed to find something fun to do on the weekends as well. It really was like a sleepover every weekend for him, which led Harry to wonder what the Ravenclaw sleepovers Elsa talked about were like. She told them they had already had three this year. Pretty much Fridays were looking to be both the worst and best days of the regular week here.

When Harry's eyes lit up after catching sight of a long package coming his way, he knew this might end up being the best Friday ever. Both Ron's and Neville's eyes lit up as well seeing the package. Hermione looked like she was excited too, but was trying too hard to hide her thoughts behind a mask of maturity. Harry went along with her here, but he had a feeling she would ask to see his broom eventually.

"Is that what I think it is?" Ron asked.

"It's been just about two weeks," Neville added confirming Ron's suspicions.

Harry merely grinned and nodded as he quickly scarfed down the remains of his breakfast. He moved to pick it up and Ron easily took the hint and grabbed the other side. Neville leaned over and said, "I'll cover for you two if I can. Open it up somewhere else. You better let me see it as soon as classes end though." Harry and Ron nodded in thanks before leaving the table.

"This is so awesome, Harry! You get your own broom!" Ron said as they were in the hall thinking they were in the clear. Harry was grinning brightly as he nodded in response. "Do you think I could ride it sometime, Harry? When you aren't of course."

Harry was about to answer, but was interrupted by a very annoying drawling voice. "Potter! That's a broom. You can't have a broom. First years can't have a broom."

Harry gave Malfoy a smug face as he said, "I'm an exception here."

"I doubt that. You're nobody," Draco replied with a glare. He then adopted his 'innocent' face and said in a whining voice, "Professor Flitwick! Potter's broke the rules. He had a broomstick delivered to him."

Tiny Professor Flitwick, who rounded a corner, gave a smile as he said, "Oh yes I heard all about that. I believe Mr. Wood and Professor McGonagall said it was going to be a Nimbus 2000." The small man then gave a sigh as he said, "I'm afraid Ravenclaw's chances at the cup are looking even slimmer if what I heard about you is true. Just remember what you were told Mr. Potter, and give us the show of a lifetime when you play your first game."

The Professor then walked away leaving Draco completely at a loss for words. Harry gave a grin to Draco and said, "You know, Draco. I really have to thank you for this. I mean if you hadn't decided to be a git and throw Neville's Remembrall during that first flying lesson I wouldn't have been put on the Gryffindor Quidditch team."

Ron was proud that he managed to hold in his laughter long enough for Malfoy to storm off with a red face full of rage. "That was bloody priceless, Harry. Malfoy didn't even say he would tell his father on you." Harry laughed as well.

{-} {-} {-}

As Harry and Ron left their table with a rather long package, Elsa's blue eyes lit up and she too decided to make her way out of the hall as well. She already told them she wanted to see it and they easily agreed to let her once they got it. She was later to notice them than she would have liked, but only because she was talking to the others at her table.

When she finally managed to catch up to them in the hallway, she watched as Draco stormed off towards the Slytherin dungeons. She rounded the corner to hear Ron laughing. "So what did I just miss?" she asked. Ron and Harry looked over to her.

Ron smiled as he said, "Harry just told off Malfoy in the best way ever!" After a dramatic retelling of the last couple of minutes, dramatic only because Ron was providing hand gestures. Elsa laughed as well.

Harry then spoke up, "I guess you want to see the broom now too?" Elsa nodded with a smile. He looked around and led the way. It wasn't long until they were close to the Gryffindor tower and entered an unused classroom nearby. "This is the best we can do, since you aren't in Gryffindor," he said a little apologetically.

He then carefully started unwrapping the package. Ron was dancing in place trying to get Harry to open in faster. Harry wanted to savor this moment. He never had anything to unwrap before. Elsa seemed to be in awe as she waited for the package to be unwrapped.

"Finally," muttered Ron as Harry finished unwrapping the package. This earned him a frown from Elsa. Harry didn't even really notice Ron say anything as he took in a deep breath and threw off the box lid.

The broom slowly floated up in front of their eyes. Harry's green eyes showed a measure of awe that was unmatched by his friends' awe. Elsa's blues might have been the closest since this was her first time seeing what was clearly a great broom. Ron started listing off all of the facts he knew by heart for the Nimbus 2000. Harry didn't really hear a word of it. He placed his hands on the broom and he could feel it's power. It was begging to be flown right there at that very minute. "I wish I didn't have to wait until after classes to test it out," Harry said with a sigh.

There was a part of him that said he could fly it right now and no one would really be any the wiser. There was also a louder part of him that said not to blow his chance for many awesome and great flights just because he couldn't wait a few hours. Harry listened to the latter voice. It probably helped that the more responsible part sounded similar to Elsa's voice. She always had a way to make rules seem less restricting. Hermione said you had to follow the rules because they were the rules. Elsa said you followed the rules as much as you could so you could keep having fun.

{-} {-} {-}

As the day went on, Harry managed to actually make it through the day somehow. Professor Snape couldn't even ruin his good mood, though it wasn't from lack of trying on the Potions Professor's part. DADA even seemed more bearable than usual, though he was really hoping the class would end early. Oliver Wood found him at lunch and said they would start training 4pm that afternoon. Harry was finding it hard to sit through DADA, even playing Hangman with Elsa managed to only help him a small bit today. It didn't help that she was winning easily because his words were Quidditch, seeker, broom, and such along with most of his guesses when she provided the word.

It was finally time for Harry to meet Oliver Wood outside. He was really eager and was half tempted to jump out the window in his dorm room riding his broom. He was also half tempted to actually break the school rule that said you couldn't fly brooms in the halls. Harry was really glad it seemed like it was a good day for flying. There were a few clouds in the sky and there was a pleasant breeze in the air.

Harry walked over to the pitch and saw Oliver Wood waiting for him with a big smile on his face. "It's a fine afternoon for Quidditch practice, Harry. Glad to see you made it on time," he said in greeting.

"I was barely able to keep myself from dashing out of DADA early today," Harry said in reply earning a good hearted chuckle from the Quidditch captain.

"Well then let's get the boring but important stuff out of the way first then," Oliver grinned as Harry nodded enthusiastically. Oliver then explained to Harry all of the different rules. Harry was glad it seemed his time with Ron was paying off. He picked up on the rules and what Oliver was saying quickly and easily.

"Now this, Harry," the team Captain said as he pulled out a golden ball. "This is what you need to worry about the most. This is the Snitch." The ball seemed to activate as wings spread out from either side of the small golden ball and soon it was zipping and zagging all around them. Oliver seemed to lose track of it easily while Harry just as easily was able to track the ball's movements. It came in closer and Harry reached out and grabbed it. "That was amazing, Harry!" Oliver Wood said as the ball's wings folded back up.

"Now then get on your broom and I will throw these whiffle balls all over and let's see you catch them. First a few laps around the pitch so you can get the feel of your new broom," Oliver said with a broad grin.

Harry eagerly did just that. He was soon up in the air and flying laps around the area. It was marvelous how much control he had on the broom. He again felt free as he raced in the air with the wind hitting his face. "This is loads better than those brooms we used in the flying lessons!" Harry shouted with glee as he laughed and pulled a loop-de-loop.

Oliver gave a chuckle and called to Harry, "Alright I think you have the hang of your broom. Get ready I'm going to start throwing whiffle balls now. See how many you can catch."

Harry did just that. He managed to catch them all even when he had to go from a deep dive to a sudden and fast rise in the air or vice versa. Oliver was grinning the whole time constantly shouting things like, "Good Job, Harry!" "Great, Potter!" "Marvelous!"

When it was starting to get dark, Harry came to a stop near Oliver as the keeper rubbed his throwing arm a little. "That was amazing, Harry. The Quidditch Cup is as good as ours!" the burly fifth year said as he patted Harry on the back in a friendly way. The smaller boy still had to brace himself.

"So when will I meet the rest of the team?" Harry asked.

"We'll have our first practice Monday. Try not to tell anyone too much about our practices and what you do during them. You're going to be our secret weapon after all," Oliver said as he started picking up all of the remaining balls on the ground with Harry's help.

Oliver looked over to him and said, "Our first game won't be until November, but we'll be having plenty of practice until then so don't start slacking."

Harry gave a laugh, "Slacking's the last thing I plan on doing."

"Also do make sure your grades are sufficient, Harry. The last thing this team needs is our secret weapon going on Academic Probation," Oliver said in a manner that sounded like he believed school was just a hindrance towards Quidditch.

Harry gave a nod. "No worries there either, Wood. I doubt Hermione or Elsa would let me slip on my grades."

"Elsa? She's in Ravenclaw isn't she?" Oliver asked cautiously.

"Yes? I don't see how that would be a problem," Harry said easily.

"Ummm… You aren't going to tell her about our practices are you?" the team captain asked.

"She already knows I'm the Seeker for Gryffindor. I kind of told her that the first day. If you're worried about her spying. Well she doesn't really seem to be a fan of Quidditch yet. She also knows she can't watch me practice even if I wanted to show her and everyone, because she is in Ravenclaw," Harry said and then gave a nod to himself. "In fact I'm pretty sure she puts her friends above house rivalries and such. She doesn't really seem the type that would do anything like that."

"Those are the best spies," Wood said causally. He understood what Harry was saying though.

"True, but if she really wanted to spy for Ravenclaw I don't think we could stop her," Harry said.

"What do you mean?" Wood asked and despite his assurances she wasn't spying he looked around as if he was seeing if she was.

Harry blinked and gave a half frown. "Surely you've heard about her? I mean how many students are actually genuinely not intimidated by their teachers? Heck, she stood up on the first day of DADA and asked Professor Quirrell if he was actually going to teach beyond just repeating the text more or less. Not to mention what I've heard both the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs say about her in Potions."

Oliver actually looked a little surprised here. He had heard a few things, but he didn't usually ask around about first years. "You mean to say she isn't even afraid of Professor Snape?" Harry shook his head. "That man intimidates even full grown wizards and sometimes the other Professors from what I've heard."

Harry nodded to that statement. Oliver gave a sigh, "Alright your point is taken, Harry. I'll trust your judgement here."

Harry gave a half frown to that. "Nice to know you'll let me choose my own friends…"

Oliver gave a nervous chuckle, "Sorry. Didn't mean for it to come out that way. It's just Quidditch you know…" Oliver clearly fully believed his own answer was enough to explain his reasoning. Harry just nodded to play along as they made their way back into the Castle. "Remember. Next Monday is the first full team practice," he said and Harry nodded as they parted ways. Harry went back to the Dorm while Oliver headed off to return the borrowed Quidditch supplies.

{-} {-} {-}

The next morning at breakfast Harry and the others were joined by Elsa. It was a weekend day so they only had to really sit formally at dinner. "So how was your private practice? What was it like to finally fly a good broom? Is it looking like Quidditch will be what you thought it would be?" Elsa asked quickly.

Harry was actually a little taken aback by her last question. He was very certain Elsa was meaning something more than just playing the game. " _Does she know the real reason I was happy to join the team?_ " Harry asked himself.

Growing up with a cousin like Dudley, Harry was always the last picked for anything. The others would also go out of their way to make it seem like they really didn't want him on their team for the game. He had never really experienced what being on a team was like. After practice yesterday, he was excited he would finally learn what it was like.

Harry gave a smile as he answered the questions. "It was a lot of fun and a lot of work. Not really physically, but mentally and reflex wise it is going to be tough." His smile widened into a fool blown grin, "The difference is night and day between using one of the school brooms and the nimbus 2000!"

He then turned to Elsa and gave her a rather serious look as he said, "Yes, it does seem like Quidditch will be what I thought it would be. I look forward to the next practice." If Harry didn't know any better, he might have thought his response caught Elsa a little off guard.

He would have asked her about that, but then Ron nudged him with an elbow and said in a not too quiet whisper. "Are you sure you should be talking about Quidditch so freely in front of the enemy?"

Elsa gave Ron a cold glare to that comment. Ron gave a shiver in reply as Harry frowned and said, "Oh you mean, Elsa? My good friend who was my friend before I even got on to the train? The same Elsa who befriended all of us during the train ride here?"

Ron gave a nod through a shiver. "I don't think she rates as an enemy to us," Harry continued. Elsa gave him a warm and friendly smile after hearing his words.

Neville then added, "I don't think she even cares for Quidditch apart from watching the games and probably now cheering for Harry. Is that right?" Elsa gave him a similar smile as well and nodded to his question.

"Well you know…" Ron started weakly. "It's well Quidditch and we play Ravenclaw at some point." He tried to defend himself, but even he was looking a little sheepish.

Hermione gave scoff to that and rolled her eyes. "I really don't see what that has to do with it, Ron."

Ron seemed to pull out some of that Gryffindor courage, or maybe that Weasley stubbornness they were known for, once Hermione spoke. "The other claws might get to her."

Elsa rolled her eyes and let out a loud sigh. "Because a group of students is much more likely to scare me than the man who intimidates three fourths of the student body, which includes my own house."

Ron gave up there and looked away as he sighed in resignation. "Okay fine... I just don't think it a good idea to talk about Gryffindor Quidditch secrets in front of others." He said in hopes it would be the final word.

Harry however had the last word. "Quidditch is important. To a level. That level isn't above my friends." Hermione seemed much more relieved hearing his words than Harry thought she should. Ron it seemed decided to let the topic drop as well. He started to work on his breakfast and the others followed his lead. Fortunately, the rest of their conversation was much more enjoyable.

{-} {-} {-}

When Monday afternoon came, Harry was happy it managed to again be a good day for practice weather wise. He was also excited to practice with the others. The twins were quick to introduce their selves to him as the team Beaters shortly after he was made Seeker. The others he guessed were just going to wait until the practice. He was excited about that. He wondered who they were and what they were like.

When he made it out to the pitch, he was surprised all of the others were there waiting. He was also surprised when he saw the last three members of the team were all girls. " _Maybe Quidditch is some sport girls really like as well. Maybe it's just the ones I'm around who aren't as into it,_ " he thought to himself. It made sense given that both Hermione and Elsa were from the muggle world like him. There was also the fact that he was surprised Quidditch was a co-ed sport. There weren't even separate leagues for men and women it seemed.

Now that he thought about it there wasn't a need for separate leagues. Strength wasn't really too much of a factor in this game except for maybe with the Beaters. The sport was about skill, planning and reflex. Things anyone could get with enough work.

Introductions with the team didn't take too long. The girls were named Alicia Spinnet, Katie Bell, and Angelina Johnston and all three of them played chaser. They all seemed friendly enough even if they did give Oliver a hard time, which was something the twins seemed to appreciate.

"Alright. Alright. Enough. On to more serious matters," Oliver started as they all listened intently. "This year we have a great team and probably the best seeker as well. We won't have to worry about others drawing out the game until they have a massive lead or ending it quickly before we get into our groove. This year that cup is as good as ours! Let's give it our best in practice today."

When he was finished, they started practice. At first everyone watched Harry, his time at Hogwarts had already gotten him a little used to always being watched so it didn't bother him as much as he thought it would. Harry also got to spend some time watching the others practice so he would have a better idea of how the game worked.

Watching the rest of the team practice and the way Wood ran things was in a manner, awe inspiring to Harry. He had never really been a part of a team. He hadn't even ever seen what a practice for a sports team was like. Most parents would have their kids join a junior league or something like that, but Dudley wanted nothing to do with that ever. His cousin didn't even have to use the "But Harry will do something freaky and ruin everything!" argument to get his way, even if Dudley did use that for extra effect.

Vernon put an end to the argument as he said, "Duds' got the right of it, Pet. Why waste his time with a sport when most won't amount to anything useful? No. He's got the right of it. He'll probably end up owning a team and choose only the best to be on it." Dudley nodded dumbly in agreement since he was getting his way. Harry doubted his cousin's abilities at owning anything. It would require too much commitment.

However, Harry was now seeing something he knew was simply put as "Awesome". The way the team broke up into groups and ran different drills and other things. The way the Chasers were passing the Quaffle back and forth. The way Oliver came up with maneuvers for everyone. The way Oliver faced off against the chasing trio for a skirmish with the twins on his side. The way he did dodge practice with the twins firing Bludgers at him. It was something impressive to Harry in a way.

"Quidditch really is amazing!" Harry said with a wide grin on his face as they were all in the locker room putting their gear up.

"Careful now, Harry. You can go too far and end up like Oliver and be completely Quidditch crazy," Alicia said. She then sighed and added, "It's really his biggest fault and he's lost friends because of it when he didn't need to lose them."

Harry heard what she said and put it in his mind, but right now he wasn't seeing the down side to that. Surely, Ron would be right to answer that those people weren't friends worth having, if that was the case. He would later, after a few practices, come to realize that was slightly foolish thinking.

{-} {-} {-}

By the time he had his third full team practice, they met at least twice a week sometimes more, Harry started to see just how far gone Oliver was. He didn't think it was as cool anymore, but he had a certain level of respect for the fifth-year boy and knew that if it came to anything Quidditch Oliver was the one to ask. At the same time, Harry didn't really want to be at that level and he understood a little more what Alicia meant by Oliver being Quidditch crazy.

When he mentioned this to his friends, Ron didn't seem to understand and both Elsa and Hermione seemed to be extremely relieved about something. Neville gave a sage like nod in agreement with Harry's deductions. Harry didn't really dwell on the subject much longer because he didn't want to accidentally get into a fight with Ron. Ron also got Quidditch crazy when it came to the sport.

Still, despite everything, Harry felt like Quidditch was the best thing to happen in his life recently. " _It is at least one of the best things ever,_ " he thought to himself. There were many great things happening in his life at the moment. He was actually a little wary because of that. He wasn't used to great things happening to him. He might have decided this meant the universe was going to do something to get back at him, but Elsa and Hermione convinced him that bad things happened all the time and good things did too.

Elsa in particular went into lecture mode, Harry blamed Hermione for giving Elsa a lecture mode as well. She talked about how people make their own path in dealing with both the good and the bad. It was important to find a way to either turn the bad into a positive or at the very least overcome it. Harry actually found Elsa's lecture mode more bearable than Hermione's at times. Heck, there was even a time or two he felt as if he was listening to a wise and charismatic leader than just a friend. There were also times that it could get too lecture-like, but he was used to it with Hermione as a friend and made it through those moments.

{-} {-} {-}

After a few more days of Oliver's training and practice, Harry found himself really enjoying the downtime he had with his friends even more than before. He really liked that it was just him and Elsa alone today, oddly enough. Hermione and the others were busy at the time and had to do something after supper that day even though he told them needed a break from everything.

He couldn't blame them, but he was immensely relieved when Elsa said to him with her warm smile when they were alone. "I don't mind taking a break somewhere with you if you want. I'm mostly caught up with my assignments and I don't feel the need to do five more revisions like Hermione." He couldn't help but chuckle a little as Elsa giggled at her own little joke. They both loved Hermione as a friend, but one of her quirks was her obsession with studying. It could be worse though and she wasn't letting it get in the way of things, so they let Hermione be Hermione.

The two of them were sitting alone at a table in one of the study halls. They weren't really studying, but they weren't going to disturb others and it was the best option they had to meet with people outside of their dorms. Their group had actually met here a couple of times with the Ravenclaws on occasion. The two of them also felt it would be a little weird if they sneaked off to an empty classroom alone.

"So how is Quidditch going?" Elsa asked.

Harry smiled. "It's tough, but I really love it. Sure, Oliver is crazy and practice is a lot more draining than I thought it would be, but I love it. I've never thought I would be a part of something like this."

Elsa smiled as she said, "I'm glad to hear that." She then gave a relieved sigh as she closed her eyes a little and said, "I'm also glad to know you think Oliver and to a lesser extent Ron are too crazy about it. Hermione and I were scared you would end up just as bad as them."

"Oh! So that's what's been going on there then," Harry said with a chuckle and a smile. Elsa blushed to this and Harry had to admit he liked it. "I'm guessing you two didn't want me finding out."

"You can't tell her!" Elsa said more forcefully than she wanted.

Harry gave a chuckle in reply. "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me." He smiled, but wondered at the odd expression Elsa held for a split second before it disappeared. He wasn't sure what that was about, but he knew it was something different from this discussion.

He gave her a relieved sigh as he said, "I'm actually glad you two are looking out for me on matters like that. Please stop me if I ever get too close to that level of crazy. Even the team has mentioned some concerns about Oliver's behavior about such things."

Elsa seemed to relax as she nodded and said, "What are friends for? If not to be there for you and keep you a little bit grounded at least." Harry nodded to that in agreement.

Elsa then shifted in her seat and leaned in a little as she said, "But tell me more about the actual sport itself. Please? I want to know what is going on when I root for you during your games. I might have to be a little partial when it comes to going against Ravenclaw though." She gave a giggle and added, "You know house loyalties and all."

Harry chuckled to that and started telling her about the game. Elsa was genuinely interested in what he said and she was actually getting a little bit of the Quidditch crazy disease herself as she eagerly awaited his first game, but that would be in November when Quidditch season started.

Once he finished telling her about Quidditch, the two sat together a little in silence. After a bit, Elsa seemed to feel a little uncomfortable. "Is something wrong?" Harry asked.

"No. It's just that I really want to write Anna a letter now, but I don't really want to leave to go and do so in my dorm. If that makes any sense," she replied.

Harry nodded in thought to that. "Well you are an excellent multitasker. I don't mind you writing a letter to her. You can tell me some more about her while you do so. I've really wanted to know what it was like to have a younger sibling. The uh… Dursleys weren't… well… strong on the whole family thing. Dudley was always my cousin and my aunt and uncle were always my aunt and uncle. They didn't really get along well with my parents." He wanted to say more, but at the same time he didn't want to say more. He also wasn't sure how to really get his point across. Elsa seemed to know not to delve into it at this time. She always seemed to have a very good read on people Harry thought.

Elsa started writing her letter and smiled as she started talking about her sister. "Anna is different from me. She easily can make friends anywhere. I kind of have a tendency to keep things to myself and can seem very cold at times. Anna is like a ray of warm spring sunshine. I've actually taken a lot of notes on how to interact with others from her."

"I've always thought you were actually rather friendly. I've even seen you as a bit of an expert on being friends at times," Harry admitted.

Elsa laughed. "I'm only like that because of Anna really. She's rubbed off on me a lot and I've rubbed off on her a lot in return. She used to be a complete wild child at times it seemed, but because she thinks I'm the best big sister ever. She's kind of learned how to calm down from time to time."

The blonde princess then gave another laugh and said, "She doesn't stay that way for too long, mind you. But she's a lot better than she used be in that regard. Oh yeah. We also both really love chocolate. One of our sitters would even teasingly call us Chocolate goblins. After meeting real goblins at Gringotts. I can't help but think she was right."

Harry and Elsa both burst out into laughter at that. Elsa then wrote more of her letter and continued to tell Harry tales about her younger sister. Harry really liked what he heard. She finished telling him about how the two of them got into serious trouble when they were younger and wanted to ground their selves from chocolate forever. She left details out obviously. "My mother told me that was a very severe punishment for little girls, especially princesses," Elsa said. She then momentarily seemed to panic, but it barely showed and Harry didn't notice. She then added in explanation, "My mom really loved us and called us her Princesses a lot. My dad kind of took up to calling us that as well from time to time."

Harry gave a laugh. It was so funny and a little silly, but he loved hearing that little tidbit. He wished he had a proper family and imagined it would have been similar if he did. After he laughed a little more, he said, "I really hope I get the chance to meet Anna someday."

Elsa was silent for a minute before she quietly added, "Maybe…"

The two talked about other things as she finished up her letter and they both made their way to the owlery together. Hedwig seemed to perk up and Harry gave her an apologetic smile. Before he said anything though, Elsa cut him off. "Actually… If you and she don't mind. She can deliver the letter to Anna for me."

Hermod gave an offended hoot and Elsa looked to him with a smile and said, "I have another letter for you to deliver, Hermod. If Harry and Hedwig don't mind doing this for me."

Harry looked in thought. He rarely used Hedwig and he figured she would like to go for a good flight. He also liked the idea of sharing owls with Elsa for some reason. He didn't really care if his friends wanted to use Hedwig, but for some reason Elsa doing so for a letter to her younger sister was something he really liked the idea of. "What do you say girl?" he asked Hedwig. She was her own owl after all.

Hedwig hooted in happiness and fluttered down to Harry's shoulder. "Just let me add something else real quick…" Elsa said as she wrote something else down. Hedwig had already moved to perch on Elsa's shoulder when she spoke.

Elsa then whispered to Hedwig, "Take this letter to Princess Anna of Arendelle. You can return after that." Hedwig gave a hoot of excitement as Elsa attached the letter to her offered leg. "It seems she is happy with this arrangement," Elsa said with a giggle as the owl quickly flew away. Elsa knew that Anna would reply using her own owl with a response letter.

Harry gave a good-hearted chuckle and said, "I hope you aren't trying to steal my owl, Elsa."

Elsa giggled in reply and said, "Well she is really beautiful…." Harry pretended to be scandalized by her response causing the crown princess to laugh. He had learned a lot about expressions from interacting with his friends and how they could be fun. Ron was a master at using expressions for comedic effect or to get other meanings across.

Hermod then gave another hoot and landed with a very dignified form on Elsa's shoulder. Elsa smiled at him fondly and stroked his feathers a little. "Actually, I think I prefer Hermod here. So, don't worry Harry." Hermod puffed up in pride to her words. Harry gave a smile to that. He really liked owls. He liked how surprisingly expressive they could be.

Elsa tied a different letter to Hermod's leg and whispered to him, "Take this letter to Kristof and the Rock trolls. You can visit Anna a little before you return if you want." He gave a hoot and an owl nod in response before taking flight himself.

As they left the owlery, Harry gave a thoughtful hum. Elsa raised a questioning eyebrow at him. "I just realized it was getting to be late October. I'm excited about Quidditch season starting soon, but before that I wonder what Halloween will be like here in Hogwarts."

Elsa's eyes seemed to brighten. "I've never really experienced Halloween before."

Harry was a little surprised to hear this, but then again he knew she was from a different country and that Halloween wasn't too wide spread. He smiled and told her about Halloween, "It's actually something that really first became big in the USA, but other countries love it too. I doubt we will have it here, but in the rest of the muggle world it is a holiday where people dress up in costumes of all kinds and then they go out and trick or treat. That's when you go house to house in the neighborhood and ask for candy. You usually get a couple of pieces of candy. It's also a holiday where people really get into scary and spooky stories and music and movies. It is actually pretty fun. Some people really go all out and decorate their houses to resemble haunted houses and such. It's the reason why we have so many scary movies come out in October. Halloween is October 31st."

He then frowned and added, "It's also kind of a bad day for me… My parents were murdered that day. However, I really enjoy everything else about it. In the past I, just kind of chose to mourn my parents on All Souls Day, even if I didn't fully understand that stuff at the time."

Elsa gave him a hug and Harry felt better. He didn't get why he added that last bit about his family really. He did like Halloween honestly. He had never really gotten to celebrate it properly, but he enjoyed everything about it and chose to put off thinking about his parents until two days later.

"Well…. It sounds like you'll just have to help me experience Halloween the right way then," Elsa said. "So, what did you think about today's DADA class?" she asked to change the subject.

Harry gave a chuckle, "I honestly think Hermione was a little jealous of our game of hangman today…" The two then settled into a little more conversation before they eventually parted to go to their dorms later.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: An Unforgettable Halloween

Anna gave a sigh. She had done that a lot ever since September. Elsa was off at a foreign school learning all kinds of fun things and meeting lots of new people. Anna was stuck in beautiful but so very familiar Arendelle. She had been focusing even more on her studies since Elsa left, but it wasn't easy for her. "Elsa truly is the best big sister ever if she could handle all of this and then spend time with me…" Anna said in a wistful voice much louder than she intended.

*Crack*

Anna jumped and straightened up her posture after a ruler hit her desk. "Princess Elsa was doing many more classes than you are. She also managed to at least seem focused the whole time," a stern math professor said to the younger princess.

Anna gave a nervous laugh in reply. She couldn't help it. It was Friday and the weather was really nice outside, yet she was here stuck indoors learning math that no one her age would be learning for a few years yet. Elsa obviously had, but Elsa was just that wonderful. "Sorry, Professor," she said before getting back to her lesson.

Once her lessons were finally over, Anna let out a sigh of relief. "Done for the day. Finally!" she shouted before running off to her room. She didn't have her best friend and best big sister ever, but still Fridays were always wonderful for her. Well… wonderful after she finished her classes.

In all honesty, she was only able to really survive without her Elsa because she had her parents and her other friend and brother figure Kristof. He was usually very busy too, but he did manage to spend time with her sometimes. The two of them would play games, but mostly they kind of talked about Elsa. However, this weekend was going to be a long one. Kristof was busy and Anna didn't really have anything going on else-wise.

The red haired princess gave a sigh. "I really miss Elsa…" she said wiping a couple of tears from her eyes. She didn't think it would hurt so much having her sister away like this. She just wished it wasn't still two months until she could see her big sister again. Elsa was coming home for Christmas. The two of them wrote to each other a lot and Anna deeply cherished each and every letter, but it still wasn't enough for her. She always looked forward to each letter every time.

{-} {-} {-}

it was Sunday afternoon and Anna was having tea in one of her favorite spots in the gardens. The spot was really important to her because she and Elsa played here a lot. Anna was surprised when she found out that she actually had come to enjoy the peace of the area while listening to nature since then. While Elsa was away Anna had gained a deeper love for things such as nature. She had even worked in the gardens since September. The gardeners were a little wary of her help at first, but they found ways to let her help without causing problems and she ended up having a knack for these things.

As Anna took a sip of tea, she heard the rustle of owl wings. Her face brightened and she looked around. She gasped in awe when she saw a Snowy white owl making its way to her. She was curious because Elsa didn't own a Snow Owl. Hermod was a Great Horned Owl. The new owl gave a happy hoot and stretched out a leg with a letter attached to it.

Anna gave a smile as she took the letter and offered part of a biscuit to the owl. It seemed to examine the treat and then took it and seemed to at least approve of it. "Thank you. Here's some water," Anna said as she pulled out an empty saucer and poured some water on to it for the owl. The new owl gave a grateful hoot and drank the water.

Anna eagerly read the letter.

 _Dear Anna,_

 _How are you doing? Things have been really busy here and time seems to flow both fast and slow. I know that doesn't make much sense, but that's the best way I can describe it. I've been busy with classes. The two classes where the instructors only repeat what is in the textbook are just as boring as ever. I've had even more 'sleepovers' with the girls in my dorm. They are actually very fun and interesting. They still don't have much on when I went Ghost Hunting or camping with the World's best Little Sister ever though._

 _One thing that is very different here is a sport they have. It is something that is really hard to explain in detail. I can only describe it as some kind of Soccer, dodge-ball and basketball hybrid. It is very strange, but it is a deep-seated tradition here. Harry is now on his house's team. Hermione and I did our best to make sure he didn't get crazy about it like guys do when it comes to sports, but I also really wanted him to enjoy it. Fortunately, our efforts seem to have paid off in the end. Harry loves it, but he isn't going too crazy about it._

 _I do wish this school had some kind of physical aspect to their education. I've had to do so on my own time. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on your view, it seems my habit of getting up early for my lessons and training over the past years have stuck with me and I still get up about that early. The grounds here are vast and compared to the course load I had prior to coming here I have a lot of free time, so I've been able to get plenty of exercise. It is a good thing too because the food here is delicious and we have a small feast everyday pretty much. Plus, they have so many deserts and chocolate to try after dinner!_

 _Regretfully, I haven't been able to do the Elsanna Exploration Society much justice yet. I've been too busy with classes and my new friends and I haven't had the chance to properly explore the place. I do have a plan to rectify that, but things keep popping up. I hope you are doing well and not slacking off too much while I'm away. I miss you very much and I'm really looking forward to the Christmas Holidays, even if they are still a while away._

 _Love,_

 _Elsa, your Best Big Sister Ever_

 _P.S.: The owl's name is Hedwig. She belongs to Harry and he was happy to let her take this trip to deliver the letter. Hermod only allowed it because I had something else for him to do. He might still drop by and visit anyways. I don't know. It's up to him. I'm sure you know how these owls are by now. They are their own beings._

Anna finished the letter and decided this was probably one of the better weekends in her life, even if it was coming to an end and every weekend she got a letter was one fo the better ones. She turned to the snowy white owl and smiled as she said, "Thank you, Hedwig." The owl gave a hoot in reply as she reached out to stroke her head feathers. Hedwig definitely approved of this.

"I still wish I could be there with Elsa. I really miss her…" Anna said with a sad sigh. She looked out over the garden from where she was having tea. If Elsa was still here they would be playing hide and seek in this garden today. She was sure of it. Anna stood up and looked to Hedwig again. "Rest as much as you want. We have a small owlery here. Skyla might like the company."

Anna was a little surprised when Hedwig fluttered up to her shoulder. She gave a giggle as she said, "Well I guess I would like the company too." The young princess decided to walk the statue garden a little with her feathered guest.

"It really is something isn't it, Hedwig?" she said earning a hoot in return. Hedwig was taking in all of the sights. The owl was looking this way and that way. She even cocked her head at a curious angle a time or too, causing Anna to giggle. She never knew how fond she would become of owls until recently. Skyla also loved hitching a ride like this with her.

"This is one of my favorites," Anna said to the owl who was looking at a statue of a well-dressed frog sipping a cup of tea while sitting on a table with an umbrella top. Anna actually had several favorites in the garden. She usually favored the more unusual ones while Elsa favored the more beautiful or historic ones.

Anna continued to walk through the garden and could have sworn if she concentrated she would hear Elsa hum next to her. The whole walk she kept up the tour commentary for Hedwig. She wasn't sure if the snowy owl understood her, but it oddly enough seemed she did. Skyla also seemed to usually understand Anna. She guessed it was an owl thing maybe.

"This is the owlery I told you about, Hedwig. Skyla should be resting there right now. You can stay and rest a little here if you want," Anna said. Hedwig gave a hoot that sounded grateful before fluttering up to a nearby perch and hooted in greeting to Skyla. Skyla seemed to return the greeting after the two owls looked at each other for a little while. Anna found the exchange interesting. She then went inside smiling a little while clutching the letter Elsa sent her. It was another one to add to the collection. She saved them all.

{-} {-} {-}

October was going even faster than Harry thought it would go at first. He was surprised at how much they all accomplished during those days. He was even more surprised when he got a letter from Hagrid at Breakfast.

Harry frowned at the letter after he read it. It wasn't much. It just asked if he wanted to have tea again. Harry did without a doubt, but he felt guilty. He had forgotten about wanting to meet Hagrid again. He also felt bad at the fact when he first visited the friendly giant of a man he and the others ended up just pumping him for information regarding the Gringotts' break in. It wasn't really the best behavior for guests.

The dark-haired boy shook his head and straightened up. This was the perfect chance to make up for that. It was also the perfect chance to bring Elsa along as well. Last time Elsa was already busy with her dorm mates. Harry hoped that wouldn't happen again. In fact, he decided to go ahead and ask her now.

Harry walked over to Elsa's spot at the Ravenclaw table. "Hey Elsa," he started.

"Yes, Harry?" she asked.

"Are you free after classes today? Hagrid just sent an invite to have us over for tea again. I know you couldn't make it last time," Harry asked.

Elsa smiled and nodded. "I would love that."

"Good... Just don't eat his rock cakes. They are literally rock hard," he said. She giggled, but stopped when she noticed Harry was serious.

"I'll keep that in mind," she replied. Elsa was actually looking forward to Tea with Hagrid and the others. She hadn't really met the groundskeeper yet, but she had seen him a few times out and about tending to his duties during her morning runs.

Elsa was actually more excited to meet Hagrid than she thought she would be. However, she was a future queen so she was able to remain at least mostly focused throughout her classes that day. Transfiguration wasn't too bad to remain focused throughout. However, DADA was worse than usual. She found herself constantly and quietly asking questions about Hagrid to any of her Gryffindor friends. Hermione eventually ended them by saying, "You'll find out soon enough, Elsa… It isn't polite to talk while others are speaking…"

Elsa rolled her eyes and said, "And if it was someone else other than the useless Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, I would be perfectly polite and listen while paying attention."

Hermione gave a sigh in response. She wasn't sure why she kept trying to get Elsa to not talk quietly during DADA. She was even finding it more and more difficult to pay attention to Professor Quirrell during class as the year went on. She had tested Elsa's theory about acing the class with just reading the book and doing the homework. Elsa's theory was proving correct so far with ease. This approach was actually more enjoyable as well, but Hermione tried to give the classes her full attention. She felt like she had to do so for the professor.

There was also the fact that Elsa was getting to meet Hagrid for the first time today. Hermione decided maybe not to worry about the talking as much this time. " _Perhaps she is only being this talkative during class because she's excited,_ " she thought to herself. Hermione wasn't too sure if it would be that exciting to meet Hagrid really. Don't get her wrong she liked Hagrid and he was different, but Elsa was acting as if she was meeting someone's family member, old best friend or something along those lines.

The class was coming to an end finally. Elsa couldn't wait to meet Hagrid. She actually blinked a couple of times. She had forgotten to ask the most important question. "What time are we meeting Hagrid for tea, Harry?"

"We've got a little bit of time. He wants us to meet him in his hut at 3:30," Harry answered.

"Oh. Ok," Elsa said. It was obvious she felt a little disappointed in this short wait. There wasn't time for her to really do anything except wait it seemed. She might have been concerned about what to wear, but she knew they were just going to wear their uniforms. She was really curious about these Rock Cakes though. More so because Harry told her not to eat them. In fact, she had more or less decided to try them for herself despite his warning.

{-} {-} {-}

The five friends arrived at Hagrid's Hut just before 3:30. Harry knocked and was answered by Fang's big booming barks. "That dog sounds big," Elsa commented.

"He **is** a Boarhound and a massive one at that, but he's really friendly… Perhaps too friendly," Ron mentioned casually earning a few snickers from Hermione and Neville as they remembered his last encounter with the dog. Harry was now really worried that maybe Elsa didn't like dogs and was really hoping she didn't get upset he hadn't warned her sooner.

"I'd rather such a large dog be possibly too friendly than mean," Elsa said easily. Harry relaxed.

Soon after Fang started barking the door opened and a large man stood there in a pink apron. "Nice of ye to come on by. It's good ta see you lot again," he said.

"Thanks for inviting us, Hagrid," Harry said.

"Come on in all ye. Come in. You must be Elsa. I've heard so much about you," he said as he looked to said girl.

She gave a smile and a slight curtsy. "Sorry for the intrusion."

"Now 'll none of that ye hear? Come on in. I wanted them to invite ye last time," Hagrid said.

"I was already busy last time," She said apologetically as the group sat down.

Hagrid smiled and said, "It's different seeing ya without yer workout clothes on, Elsa. I've always noticed ye out there running and all. Thought it weird seeing someone up and out so early."

"I kind of like seeing you out in the mornings. I also really enjoyed the boat ride at the start of the year," Elsa said with a smile.

"Aye. That be ona my favorite duties. Always nice seeing everyone's reaction ta seeing ol' Hogwarts. Don't matter ifin ya had family and visited before. Erbody is always blown away. Heh heh sometimes more literally than not ifin the weather is bad," Hagrid said with a chuckle.

Hagrid then placed a large kettle as if it was a tea pot in the center of the table. In his hands, it looked like a normal tea pot. Elsa guessed an actual tea pot would look like a child's miniature toy tea set in his hands. Next, the giant of a man placed a tray of cakes that sounded a lot more solid than they should. Elsa didn't need any hints that these were the infamous rock cakes.

Hagrid was surprisingly able to handle the kettle delicately enough to serve his guests without spilling a drop or over filling the cups. He offered the others each a Rock cake which they politely refused, except for Ron. When he offered Elsa one, Harry tried to signal to her not to take one, but she did anyways. She was far too curious to refuse.

"So yer in Ravenclaw right, Elsa?" Hagrid asked making conversation.

"Yes, I am. What house were you in while you attended Hogwarts?" she asked in return.

"Same as this lot. Gryffindor. Didn't finish though, but Dumbledore still was kind enough to have me stay as Keeper of Keys an' Grounds. Good man Dumbledore, good man. Trusts me with important tasks and all," Hagrid said with pride.

"Like helping Harry get ready for Hogwarts, right?" Elsa asked with a smile as she sipped the tea which was pretty good. It seemed to be a special brew of Hagrid's and the man seemed to know what flavors worked in what ways.

"Heard about that did ya?" Hagrid asked.

Elsa nodded and asked, "What was it like for you? Harry's told me all about it from his side."

"I was proud and honored. Not really a fan of 'em Dursleys though…" he then turned to Harry and continued, "still it was nice getting ta take you to Diagon Alley. It was nice getting to see all of the old places again. Ye see I ain't got much use going ta most of them now. Hogwarts has most of everything I need," he said.

"I wish I could have gone with you as well, Hagrid," Ron said. He then took a deep sip and continued, "Going with my family is always a pain and chaotic. I'm used to it and all, but that doesn't change the facts. Would be nice to not have to rush from place to place there."

"When my Gran took me, it was all business. I wanted to look at some other stores, but she had the full day scheduled out already. My great uncle Algie was too busy to take me instead," Neville said.

"I went with professor McGonagall shortly after she made her third trip to tell us a little more about Magic and Hogwarts," Hermione said and then turned a little pink as she added, "She had to kind of drag me out of Flourish and Blotts." The others laughed a little as she pinked a little more and giggled herself.

"Who took ya, Elsa?" Hagrid asked.

"A woman named Rose," Elsa started.

Hagrid grinned as he said, "I've seen her there a few times meself. How's she doing?"

"As far as I know, well. I haven't really written to her specifically, but a boy I grew up with named Kristof said she was doing well and excited to be teaching him. Not spells or anything like that, mind you, but she is teaching him English. He wanted to learn it after my sister Anna and I started taking lessons," Elsa said.

"You've never really mentioned Kristof before," Harry commented. He didn't know why he was a little upset that she knew this other boy, but he was a little bit.

"Oh, well. I've never really thought to talk about him too much. We don't really spend a lot of time together or anything, but he sees himself as an older brother to both me and Anna. He's only a few months older than me," Elsa said giving a frown likely aimed at Kristof, even if he wouldn't see it.

Harry would have asked more, but Elsa started talking about her own trip to Diagon Alley. "Fortunately, when I went with Ms. Rose we had a good bit of time to look around. I really liked getting my wand, even if Mr. Olivander seemed a little bizarre. I also really liked looking at all of the owls and other pets as well. Going to Gringotts was something I've never really experienced before."

Hagrid gave a chuckle. "I'll believe tha'. Them goblins aren't known fer being pleasant."

Elsa gave a half frown. "It wasn't that so much. I've dealt with more unpleasant people before. Still the whole Accounts test thing was strange." Her half frown twisted into a grimace. "It was also rather archaic and a little gross, but still something to behold in a way."

Ron dropped the rock cake he was about to bite. Neville looked up in surprise. "You took an Accounts Test?!" they asked together.

Elsa blushed thinking she might have done something wrong by mentioning that. She soon recovered though. "I've told you all before about how the gift doesn't always awaken, but it is always present in my family." They nodded to this. "Well in the past one of my ancestors decided to open an account with Gringotts for all of us in the future to use for expenses. We all will of course make sure the money we use is redeemed at the least, and the account grows most of the time if possible."

Ron and Neville nodded to that. Hagrid nodded as well and added, "Makes a might of sense tha' it does then. Muggle to magical currency can be finicky at best."

"Should I open a Gringotts account then?" Hermione asked Elsa was able to pick up the slight panic in her female friend's voice.

"Aye, tha be a good idea ifin ya got the money for it," Hagrid answered.

Hermione was in thought on the subject. She did have some money. Her parents got her an account from when she was young and put some money into it. There were even a few times she would put money into it as well. It wasn't much but perhaps if she looked into the options…

While Hermione was possibly wishing she had in fact taken accounting classes, the others moved the conversation on to Quidditch. "So, Harry. I heard ya got on Gryffindor's team. Congrats! Yer father played fer Gryffindor as well."

"He did?!" Harry asked instantly perking up. Hermione came back to the conversation at this point. She was always wanting to learn more about her friends.

"Aye, he did. He was a mighty fine chaser too. He'd be proud of ya making seeker," Hagrid said with a fond smile towards Harry.

"Hear that, Harry! Quidditch is in your blood." Ron said with a smile.

Harry felt really happy hearing that. Knowing his dad also played Quidditch for Gryffindor could only be better if his dad was a seeker as well. Regardless of that, it still felt as if he was keeping up a family tradition. "What about my mom?" Harry asked wondering if she might have played it as well.

Hagrid shook his head while smiling, "She never played it. But she loved watchin'. 'specially your father."

Harry felt a little disappointed, but also felt glad that she too seemed to enjoy the game. Harry couldn't help but wonder if maybe Elsa and Hermione would like it once they saw their first game. A part of him really hoped Elsa at least did. After all, she was his first friend, even if she had that Kristof guy as a friend before him and didn't talk about him.

Hearing Hagrid's words, Hermione realized just how much Quidditch was going to be a part of Harry's life from now on. She knew there was no way he would turn back from it. She also had a feeling that it would now mean more to him than just being a part of a team. " _I can only hope he won't get crazy about it like Ron,_ " she thought to herself. Elsa has similar thoughts in her mind as well.

"Speaking of which," Elsa started. "When is your first game, Harry?"

Harry was in thought for a moment. "Still don't know for sure. Just that it will be in November. I don't even know who we will be playing," he answered. He then smiled a little as he added, "But I'm already excited for it."

"Told you Quidditch was the best!" Ron said as he thumped Harry on the back.

Elsa gave a mental sigh at how happy and excited Harry seemed about Quidditch. She decided she would have to encourage him even if he got as bad as Ron about the sport.

The rest of their time at Hagrid's hut for tea was fun. Harry was a little concerned when Elsa took a bite of a rock cake. Elsa took a bite and blinked a little. She then took a sip of her tea and calmly said, "I don't think rock cakes are supposed to be this hard."

Hagrid actually examined one with a discerning eye. He then took a bite in thought. Harry was scared that Elsa might have accidentally offended him and he wondered why she would make such a mistake. She was usually the one correcting others on their manners.

Hagrid took another bite in thought and hummed. He then swallowed and spoke. "I think ye might be right, Elsa. I've been meaning to have a look at that oven for almost a year now. I'll 'ave ta put it further up on my list o' things ta do. Thank ye for telling me. You'd be surprised how often people just don't say nothing hoping not ta offend."

"You're welcome, Hagrid. Still this tea of yours is fantastic," Elsa said with a smile.

"Thank ye. Its one of my favorites and the recipe is something I made up. Gots lotsa ingredients to try flavors with here and all. I test out several o' them meself first naturally. Dumbledore and a couple o' the others also like to try the different flavors I come up with every now an' then," Hagrid said glowing with pride.

Harry and the others, minus Ron who was still eating his rock cake servings without worry, blinked in astonishment at the exchange. They couldn't believe she dared to say that about the rock cakes, and partly wished they had. If they knew Hagrid would have taken it so well they would have said something politely. They also kind of hoped the oven would be the only reason the cakes were so rock hard.

They also found it amazing that Hagrid made his own tea flavors. Harry didn't know much about tea. Aunt Petunia would never let him prepare tea. She always feared his 'freakiness' would spoil the tea. Neville and Ron never really considered their selves connoisseurs of tea either. They drank it sure, and they had their preferences of flavors, but that was about it. Hermione was really surprised. She had no idea Hagrid made his own tea. She just figured it was a wizard flavor she had never heard of or something. After all, the first time she had ever heard of Pumpkin juice was just recently.

"That's really impressive, Hagrid. I would like to taste some of these other flavors in the future if possible too," Elsa said clearly impressed while she looked to the giant of man.

Hagrid gave a chuckle. "I'll keep that in mind."

Shortly after that, Hagrid looked at his clock. "Well, its about time you lot got back ta Hogwarts. I hope you all look forward to the Halloween feast coming up. I grew the pumpkins meself!" His pride again showed through as he beamed at them while they left.

{-} {-} {-}

It was Halloween finally. Elsa was really looking forward to it because Arendelle didn't have this holiday. She was a little less attentive than she probably should have been during double Potions. She wasn't doing anything wrong with the potion, but Professor Snape loved catching students off guard and he had a knack for knowing when that was the case. It also didn't help that Hannah distracted her and so she missed a step. She was able to compensate for it in the end and as a result increased the potency of the potion. Many would count this a blessing and be done with it, but Professor Snape was not that type.

As the class came to an end and she turned in her potion he spoke to her, "Miss Evergreen, stay after class." Elsa didn't like the sound of this at all. She would face him like she usually did. Cold but not impolite. It was something that Professor Snape found odd about her and she wanted to keep it that way.

Once everyone else had left, Professor Snape turned to her and asked, "Do you know why I asked you to stay after?"

Elsa drew herself in and looked to him with her icy eyes. "Probably because I was lucky we were working on a potion that I could compensate for my momentary lapse in concentration. Fortunately, this potion allows you to increase the potency through the method I used, Professor."

He looked at her neutrally. She hadn't come up with an excuse, but explained what happened. He treated her a little differently from his other students in the class because she was very different and he saw potential in her. "What would you have done if you couldn't have compensated?"

"I would have started over. In the case of this potion, I would have then increased the heat a little bit and decreased the timing by double that increment. If it was another potion, I would have adjusted accordingly for that potion's properties. If there wasn't any other way I would have started over and gone at the same pace as required, despite the fact I would not have been finished by the end of class," she answered.

Professor Snape looked her over trying to find weakness. If she had any, he wasn't able to pick them out. He mostly attempted this for his own curiosity's sake. He would keep an eye on her as he did many students. She was very well liked and very smart. She also had a competence seen in very few students and even fewer her age. The last thing he wanted was a dark Mistress that might Ally with Voldemort once he returned, especially if she was powerful. He didn't think Elsa would go that way, but he knew how a young Tom Riddle fooled all of the staff apart from Dumbledore during his stint as a student.

"Very well. Considering this was your first infraction, I will allow you off this time. I won't guarantee this will happen again in the future. You may go, Miss Evergreen," he replied.

Elsa gave him a slight nod as she made her way to Charms. Once she was in a secret passage she managed to discover, she gave a huff. "Really… The Nerve of him. I'm just excited. It's my first Halloween ever! I'm also only 11 and the potion wouldn't have exploded or anything," She said to herself before regaining her calm and exiting the passageway. She was just glad she found it and was able to make up for the time she spent in Potions before her next class.

She made it before Charms started, but just barely. She also wasn't able to sit with her Gryffindor friends either. She had to settle for a seat in the back by the door. "Ahhh. Good. I was worried you wouldn't make it on time, Miss Evergreen," Professor Flitwick said to get the class' attention.

"Sorry, Professor Flitwick. Professor Snape wished to have a few words with me after Potions," she replied.

"No worries! Your just in time. Today we are going to learn the levitation charm. Perhaps you can tell us a little about it, Miss Evergreen?" he asked with a smile.

Elsa nodded in return. "The Levitation charm is very handy for levitating physical objects. It is not really able to work on humans, though many have tried. It can sometimes work on small creatures."

"Good, Miss Evergreen," he said giving her a nod. He then looked to the rest of the class and asked, "Does anyone know the incantation for the charm already?"

Hermione shot her hand up in the air. "Miss Granger," he called.

"Wingardium Leviosa," she answered with a smile.

"Excellent! Now for this spell you will use the swish and flick movement we have been practicing. We will be using feathers for this lesson," he said and demonstrated the spell.

"Now everyone, you try. Swish and Flick," he said as the students repeated after him a few times. "Okay. Try the spell."

There was a chorus of different variations of "Wingardium Leviosa" followed by varying degrees of success. Hermione and Elsa were able to easily cast the spell naturally and each earned five points for their houses. Ron's didn't move. Harry's went up for just a few seconds and was very shaky. Neville's did some kind of flip maneuver in the air that was very impressive, but clearly out of his control. Seamus' managed to explode in a puff of smoke and soot somehow as many other things usually did around him.

Ron tried a few more times and started to frown at it hoping to cause it to burn with his eyes. Hermione looked to him and said, "You have to pronounce it Wing-GAR-dee-um Levi-O-sa. Try making the 'Gar' sound nice and long."

Ron looked to her with a skeptical frown. He wasn't sure it would work. He was pretty sure there was an anti-Ron conspiracy with the feathers by this moment. "WinGARdium Leviosa." He said concentrating on it.

It actually partly worked this time. He quickly lost control of it though in his surprise and the feather floated over to Seamus, who decided to try the spell again on Ron's feather causing it to catch fire. Ron felt double pleased. First, he got the spell to work and second the stubborn feather got the Seamus Finnigan treatment in the end.

The rest of the class the continued to try the spell. They eventually upgraded to paper airplanes instead of just feathers. Dean Thomas and Terry Boot ended up racing theirs and getting more and more elaborate with their planes in a contest. Seamus even found a way to get feathers airborne and control when they blew up and used them as obstacles in Dean's and Terry's contest much to the other students' amusement.

Professor Flitwick even enjoyed the display. He was ready in case things got too out of hand, but he was impressed that Mr. Finnigan seemed to have his explosions under control. Plus, the racing they were doing with tricks was both entertaining and helpful for them.

Hermione wrote a letter on a paper airplane and sent it over to Elsa. Elsa looked at the paper airplane and read it. " _Meet me outside of class?_ "

Elsa wrote " _Okay_ " in return and sent it flying back to Hermione. The princess figured it was something important Hermione wanted to talk to her about because there wasn't really any other reason to write such a note.

As the class neared its end, Professor Flitwick spoke again, "Miss Evergreen please see me briefly after class. Everyone else. You are dismissed. And Happy Halloween!"

Hermione was about to leave when she said, "I'll wait outside for you, Elsa."

"Okay thanks," she replied as she walked forward to see what it was Professor Flitwick wanted with her.

Hermione waited outside holding her book bag. Harry, Ron and Neville headed back to the dorm ahead of her after she told them she wanted to talk to Elsa about something kind of personal. It was actually kind of boring what she wanted to talk to Elsa about, but she didn't want to tempt the other's curiosity.

While she was waiting, students went by in the halls. Some looked at her curiously, but left it at that as they went about their own business. However, a trio of Slytherin girls lead by Pansy wouldn't be content to just leave her alone. "Look at her. She's probably eagerly waiting to beg Professor Flitwick to give her attention," Pansy said in a stage whisper while looking smug.

"I don't know about that. Maybe she's waiting for a friend?" Tracey Davis said.

"Doubt it. Who would be friends with her? All she cares about is getting attention from professors. You've seen how she jumps up and down trying to get called on," Pansy said with a snicker.

"What about Potter and Longbottom. There's also that stuck up Elsa girl," Millicent Bulstrode, a heavy-set girl with a jutting jaw, said.

"Oh please! Potter just wants the fanfare she probably gives him in private and Longbottom will take anything he can get. She probably does their homework for them or something to buy their friendship. And Elsa…" Pansy said Elsa's name with a very intense dislike. "Loves pretending to be oh so popular, oh so nice and oh so better than everyone around her."

Millicent gave a harsh laugh to that. "That actually sounds about right." Pansy had gotten a couple of the other Slytherins on the Elsa hate train, but sadly Draco wasn't on said train despite her attempts.

Pansy gave chuckle and added, "That Hermione girl probably lifts her skirt for Weasley and the others anyways. Her face and hair sure aren't anything worth looking at." Millicent and Pansy both broke out in horrible sounding giggles at that statement. Tracey seemed to give a nervous laugh, but that was it as they left.

Hermione knew she shouldn't let what Pansy said get to her, but she couldn't help it. She'd never really had friends and the thing about doing the other's homework brought up some bad memories from her past and that statement about what she supposedly did made it worse. She tried to fight back the tears forming in her eyes, but it was a losing battle for her. She stood there a little longer before sniffling and deciding she needed to hide and get away. She'd apologize later to Elsa.

Elsa just stepped out of the classroom and was about to speak to Hermione when she saw her friend round a corner quickly as if she was running from something. Elsa frowned but quickly ran after Hermione. She didn't know what was going on, but she figured it would be better to chase after her friend instead of just leaving her alone.

Once she started running, Hermione found it even harder to stop her tears and so she just let them flow. She sniffed as she came to a restroom and entered it crying. She quickly found an open stall and slammed the door shut before letting it all out.

A confused and worried Lavender knocked on the stall's door, "Umm… Are you okay, Hermione?"

"Leave me alone… I don't want to talk about it," she replied rather harsher than she would have liked.

Lavender gave a frown and left. As soon as she left she heard a voice ask, "Is she in there?" Lavender looked to the voice and saw Elsa standing there.

"She said she wanted to be left alone and not talk about it," Lavender answered.

"Thanks," Elsa replied before entering the restroom. Lavender just sighed and shook her head. She didn't know what was going on and decided it wasn't really her business at the moment.

Hermione was sniffing when she heard a different voice speak to her. "Hermione. Are you okay? What happened?"

It was Elsa. Hermione sobbed louder but answered. "It was Pansy. She… she said m-m-mean things right in front of me. S-s-she didn't even say them to me…."

"Do you really want to be left alone?" Elsa asked.

Hermione sniffed and sobbed again as she said, "N-n-no…"

"I'll be right here then," Elsa replied. Hermione sobbed more, but was grateful. She knew it was ridiculous the way she was acting, but the whole thing with Pansy got to her.

{-} {-} {-}

"Hey, have either of you two seen Hermione?" Neville asked. It had been awhile since they left their last class and the feast was starting soon. Hermione had been really excited about it as had Elsa. Hermione even flat out said she wouldn't bother studying until at least after the feast tonight.

"I was kind of wondering the same thing…" Harry started.

"Well she did want to talk to Elsa about something," Ron said.

"It's still been a while. You would think she would be back by now," Harry said growing more concerned.

"Especially with how much she was looking forward to seeing a wizarding Halloween," Neville said.

Ron and the others were in thought on where she could be. They were getting worried when he saw Lavender walk in with Parvati. "Have you two seen Hermione by any chance?" he asked.

Lavender looked down as she said, "She was crying in the girls' bathroom on the second floor near the Charms classroom last I saw her. Something seemed to have really upset her."

Parvati's eyes then widened as she said, "I bet it was Pansy. I overheard her saying something about showing the know it all upstart. I thought she might have been referring to Elsa with the way she seems to have it in for her, but she's like that with Hermione too."

Harry stood up along with Neville and they both asked, "What did Pansy say? Is Hermione alright?"

Lavender seemed a little surprised at the look in their eyes. "I don't really know. She said she wanted to be left alone, but then Elsa showed up and went in to talk to her anyways."

Harry and Neville looked at each other and were about to make their way to the dorm's exit in a hurry when they heard Ron speak up. "Thank you, Lavender. Thank you, Parvati." The two girls gave a nod and Lavender gave a bit of a smile before they left.

"Come on Ron. Let's go!" Harry said and Neville nodded.

Ron stood up and spoke again. "Let's not." They looked at him in shock and then slowly their looks started to morph into anger at his refusal. Ron held his hands up and continued, "You heard them. Hermione's in the Girls' bathroom."

Harry and Neville paused trying to work it out before realizing what he was saying, but they decided they could just pound on the door or something.

"Whenever Ginny's gotten into moods like that. Mum always said it was best for boys to leave girls alone for a while at least," he said.

Harry seemed to decide that maybe Ron was right even if he didn't like it. Ron's mom and thus Ron would know more about such things than he would. Neville gave a sigh and sat back down. Harry followed his lead. Neville then spoke, "I don't really like the idea, but she is in the girls' bathroom and she does have Elsa there with her. Elsa would probably be the best out of us to talk to her right now."

"If she's not there during the feast, we have to look for her after we get a quick bite to eat," Harry said in a way that told them there was no argument on the matter.

Ron looked like he really didn't want to pass up the chance to take full advantage of the feast, but Hermione was one of his friends so it was important to help her when he could. "Makes sense," he agreed. He figured that would have been long enough for Hermione to have been left alone even if she was with Elsa.

{-} {-} {-}

"Like Pansy's one to talk," Elsa said. Hermione had just told her what all happened. It had taken awhile for the girl to stop crying. Elsa gave a scoff. "That girl would wet herself in public and then dance naked if Draco told her to do it in exchange for a date."

Hermione couldn't help but laugh to that. "Doesn't Draco like her?"

Elsa shook her head. "I don't think so. Sure, he'll take her support like he will anyone's if they are on his side, but I don't think there is anything more to it. Though Pansy wishes there was, clearly." Hermione giggled to that.

"I'm not really saying anything, but Draco doesn't really choose to sit with her. She is usually the one that makes that choice and he's indifferent to it. Then she'll spend the whole time staring daggers at me during class when she can," Elsa said.

"That's kind of sad," Hermione said.

"Yes, it is. I mean I doubt any of the guys in our year are even thinking about dating, so why bother?" Elsa said.

Hermione laughed and said, "Some of them probably still think we all have cooties. If they even have the brain power to handle such a concept. I mean look at Crabbe and Goyle."

The two girls shared a laugh for a little bit before Hermione grew a little serious and said, "It was more the memories her words brought back up really."

"What happened?" Elsa asked.

Hermione gave a sigh. "I've pointed it out a few times, but I never really had friends before. In school before here, there were a couple of 'friends' who always wanted me to help them with homework or studying, but that was about it. When I kept doing good in classes, I was called teacher's pet and there were a few mean girls that made fun of my teeth or my hair."

She shifted a little before continuing, "I really thought the kids who always wanted my help were actually my friends, but when it got really bad one time and this bully girl said things like Pansy did they all kind of abandoned me. A couple of them tried to at least apologize, but it was later and shortly before I got the letter saying I would be going to Hogwarts. I got it when I turned 11 last year and it explained that I missed the cut off date and had to wait until this year. After that I really didn't care anymore."

Elsa looked Hermione over and asked, "So why did it bother you when Pansy said those things? It can't be just those memories alone."

Hermione gave another sigh. "It wasn't. I was being stupid at the time. I was just rattled by what she said and I kind of feared that maybe she was right. I like all of you as my friends and I don't really want to go back to being alone again. I didn't have a problem with it before once I quickly got used to it, but in these past two months I've kind of grown used to the idea of having friends." She gave a watery smile to Elsa.

Elsa gave her a hug and said, "I'm glad to have you all as friends too, even if we are in different houses."

They held their hug for a little before they started to smell something very disgusting and wrinkled their noses. "Ugh… did one of the toilets just back up?" Elsa asked.

Hermione was about to look even if she didn't think so when they heard something that sounded like very heavy feet dragging something equally heavy towards them down the hall. The two girls looked to each other and sort of backed up away from the door when they heard the sound stop right outside.

Shortly, after the sound stopped it started again and their eyes widened as they both gasped in fear at what stood before them. All thoughts about toilets backing up flew right out the window. This was something far worse…

{-} {-} {-}

"T-t-t-troll! In the dungeons!" Professor Quirrell said shortly after the feast started causing the entire hall to go deathly quiet. "T-t-thought y-y-you ought to know…" He then fainted face down where he had entered.

For a couple of seconds, the dining hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Then people started to scream and get up about to make a break for it. There was a loud bang causing everyone to look at Professor Dumbledore. "Prefects! Escort your houses back to their respective dorms using the safe routes. Head boy and Head Girl help with the Slytherin escort. Professors follow me," he ordered. Quickly everyone got into action.

Sure, it was a bit of a risk having the students go back to their dorms, but leaving them here wouldn't work if the troll suddenly decided it no longer fancied the dungeons. It would also be able to easily break down the doors and then cause a huge ruckus in the dining hall. It also wasn't a good idea to have a battle against a troll right in front of the students.

Professor Dumbledore wasn't sure why or how a troll got in to the castle. He decided after this there would not only be an investigation into the matter, but they would also have meetings with the prefects and practice drills in case of other such instances in the future. There were several already established, but they had mostly been collecting dust because they were from long ago when the defenses wouldn't have been as strong. He also figured it might be time to look the defenses over again and check the wards and find any other short comings that might need to be addressed. It was highly unlikely the troll just happened to stroll right into the castle.

As Harry, Ron and Neville were heading back to their dorm with the rest of their house, Harry paused. "Hermione! Elsa!" he said to the other two. Their eyes immediately widened. They had momentarily forgotten about their two friends in the panic. "They don't know about the troll," Harry added unnecessarily.

Ron nodded and motioned over to the Hufflepuff line. "We better not get caught. Percy would be far too happy scolding us for not following him and tell my mum." They followed his lead.

They briefly followed with the Hufflepuffs and only one person seemed to notice them. Hannah fortunately didn't do anything except look at them curiously and blink a couple of times before the trio of boys left. They soon broke off from the Hufflepuffs and sneaked their way to the second floor.

As they made their way carefully down the corridor, they heard the quick sound of steps heading their way. "Percy…" hissed Ron before they dived to the side and hid in an alcove behind a statue. They were surprised when they saw not Percy, but Professor Snape pass them by quickly before going up a different set of stairs. "What's he doing up here?" Ron asked.

"Who knows," Harry started. "We need to find Hermione and Elsa." They continued their way. However, when they turned the corner they stopped in shock. Right there in front of them was a tall troll about 12 feet and larger than even Hagrid. It also smelled liked a backed-up toilet mixed with old disgusting gym socks that hadn't been washed ever.

The thing seemed to growl and groan a little. It even paused in its step. Harry, Ron and Neville were all three scared they had somehow gotten its attention. "What is it doing up here?" Neville whispered. The troll then turned and wandered into a room right next to it.

"We could lock it up in there…" Harry said. "Then we'll go and tell the Professors where it is."

Ron gulped and nodded. They slowly crept towards where the troll disappeared into the room and he quietly and carefully closed the door and locked it. His face was a very light green from the terror he was feeling and the disgusting smell that was even stronger this close to the troll. Soon he was however, flushing in victory. They had just stopped the troll pretty much.

"We did it!" he said not too loudly despite his excitement and relief. "We even saved Hermione and Elsa."

"Can we just go now?" Neville asked. The others nodded and right as they were about to head back they heard a loud and clearly terrified scream.

Harry's eyes widened as he saw the sign next to the door. "The girls' bathroom! Hermione! Elsa!" They hadn't just saved them. If anything, they had just condemned them to death. It was even worse once he realized there was no way a simple wooden door would hold back such a beast in the first place.

{-} {-} {-}

" _What the hell is that thing doing here?!_ " Elsa thought to herself. She wasn't shaking or anything but that was simply because she was too shocked and because of all the training she had been though. She was still down right terrified. Despite her fear, she was sort of standing between the large smelly troll and Hermione.

Hermione was scared stiff and she was completely quiet. When there was a click as the door seemed to shut behind the troll, she broke out of her silence. "AAHHHH!" she screamed out with as much volume as she could.

The troll actually seemed a little startled and looked around. It was almost as if it was only now seeing the two tasty looking meals in front of him. It roared and started to swing its club around clumsily.

Shortly after that the door broke open. Hermione thought that maybe her and Elsa would be saved by the professors. Instead she saw three very familiar boys plop on the ground before standing up. The troll seemed confused by the three new meals that just entered behind him. He was thinking he would have himself a nice feast when one of the meals said something and hit him with something that stung and annoyed him. "Roawwar!" the trolled yelled as he started swinging his club everywhere.

"I don't think that did any good!" Ron said as he held his wand feebly. How the bloody hell were they supposed to fight a troll.

"Distract it then?!" Neville said in return as he started causing the sinks nearby to explode by shooting raw magic at them and seemingly confusing the troll. Ron reached down and started throwing debris at it while they did their best to dodge. Harry seemed to have the bright idea of distracting the troll by tackling it.

Elsa watched as the three guys tried to fight the troll. They were distracting it, but she didn't see how shoving a wand up its nose really helped. She started to think. " _No choice…_ " she told herself. She took in a deep breath to calm herself and come to terms with the fact that she was going to expose her powers after just two months at Hogwarts. The air seemed to chill as she gathered her magic. Hermione noticed it and started to shiver but it seemed the girl chalked it up to her nerves from the troll. The boys didn't really pay any heed.

"His club!" Harry shouted as he was thrown from the troll. Neville and Ron understood as Neville nodded towards a piece of sink. Ron looked to the club and focused.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Neville called as he used the sink to distract the troll again.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Ron called as he levitated the club causing the troll to look up at it confused. Ron couldn't keep the spell up any longer and so dropped the club on the troll's head. It let out a howl of pain as he swung on its feet and then fell to the floor with a monstrous thud.

"Is it dead?" Ron asked.

"I don't think so," Harry said while pulling his wand out and feeling its breath. "Yuck… troll boogers…" Harry said as everyone caught their breath and started to laugh. They were all happy to still be alive. Elsa was even happier that she didn't need to use her powers after all and kicked herself for not thinking of using its club against it like Harry did.

"What happened here?!" they all heard a stern voice say from standing on top of the knocked down door. It was Professor McGonagall who was flanking Professor Dumbledore with Professor Snape on the headmaster's other side.

"It would seem the troll wasn't in the dungeons after all. And somehow these students took it down," Professor Dumbledore said.

Harry gulped as he looked to the ground. He just knew they were in trouble now. "Why aren't you in your dorms? Explain yourselves!" barked Professor Snape.

The friends were at a loss for words on what to say. Elsa spoke up. "Hermione and I were running late to the feast. We got a little carried away talking in here together. When we were about to head to the feast, we smelled that thing and heard it lumbering around outside. They showed up and worked together to fight it off."

"You expect me to believe three first years fought off a troll? How?" scoffed Professor Snape.

Ron looked angry and Harry was about to say something, but it was in fact Hermione who spoke up next. "Well Harry and Neville distracted it and Ron used the Levitation Charm on the club before dropping it on the troll's head." Professor Snape looked like he was going over if that would have worked or not in his mind.

"Is this true? You three?" Asked Professor McGonagall. The three boys nodded to this.

"Why was it you three came here?" Professor Dumbledore asked.

Harry spoke this time. "Well we knew they were here and hadn't made it to the feast yet so we came to warn them. We weren't going to just not warn them. We also thought it would be okay since the troll was supposed to be in the dungeons…" It seemed they were going with the truth here, even if they left out the bit about Pansy being mean to Hermione and that's why they weren't at the feast.

"And how did you know where to find these two?" Professor Snape asked with a bit of a sneer.

Ron answered this time and it seemed he at least picked up on the fact they shouldn't try to start a fight with a professor in front of the headmaster at least. "We knew they were here because we asked two girls in our year where Hermione was. She was really looking forward to the Halloween feast and all. They told us both of them were here."

Professor Snape seemed like he almost wanted to scoff at them, but decided better. "Well that is admirable of you three even if it was foolish not to go to a Prefect instead. You could have died," Professor McGonagall said.

Professor Dumbledore seemed to nod to himself about something before speaking again, "Five points each from you three for not going to a Prefect. Also, five points to you two, Hermione and Elsa, for being truthful about what happened here."

Professor McGonagall gave a sigh as she said, "The feasts are being finished in the dorm common rooms. Let's get you all back to your houses. We'll take care of the troll from here."

They were about to go when Professor Dumbledore stopped them. "I think it only seems right that they get to enjoy the feast together with each other. It isn't everyday students face a troll and live to tell about it. I believe there is a room nearby they can use that would be perfect."

The group left and followed the professors to an empty classroom. It wasn't really decorated or anything but it was cozy enough. "I don't like the idea of leaving five students alone to feast out in the castle, Albus," Professor Snape said in his usual voice.

Professor Dumbledore was about to say something when Professor Flitwick quickly made his way over. "Albus! I just got the head count back from my Prefects and it seems Miss Evergreen is missi-"

"She is right here, Filius." Albus interrupted him and pointed to a nervously smiling Ravenclaw first year. "We know what happened and she is safe along with the others. Would you mind keeping them company while they enjoy their share of the feast? I felt it was best for them to be together a little longer tonight considering everything. Mr. Weasley has quite the tale to share with you as well."

Professor Flitwick held a bemused expression but never the less nodded. "Good. Minerva and Severus would you two help me with removing the troll?" Professor Dumbledore asked getting nods from them. He then waved his wand a little and there was soon a nice table in the center of the room with chairs for them all as a smaller version of the feast appeared on top of the table.

"Well then off we go," Dumbledore said as he left with the other two professors.

"This won't do," Professor Flitwick said soon after the others left the room. He then smiled as he waved his wand around and soon there were decorations to go with the feast. Hermione and Elsa both "oooed" at the live bats and looked at the couple of pumpkins that appeared as well. "They aren't really to the scale of Hagrid's, but those would be too big for the room." He then gave a smile as he waved his wand again as a beautiful tea pot appeared along the other pitchers. "I heard you really liked Hagrid's tea, Miss Evergreen. This is one of his original Halloween brews! He was kind enough to share the recipe with me."

They were seated down quickly and Elsa took a sip of the tea and it was delightful. She could taste pumpkin, gingerbread, cinnamon and something else as well that equaled Fall somehow.

After they had eaten in a bit of silence, since they were all hungry, Professor Flitwick spoke, "So Mr. Weasley, what was it Professor Dumbledore meant when he said you had a tale for me?"

Ron's eyes lit up and he smiled as he told the tale of the troll battle. He naturally embellished a little, but he did get all of his facts right. "I then dropped the club on his head because it was difficult keeping it up for long and it knocked the troll out," he finished.

Professor Flitwick gave a merry chuckle as he said, "Good job indeed. Five points to Gryffindor for your use of the charm. Five points to you Mr. Longbottom for your use of the Charm and five points to you, Mr. Potter, for your quick thinking to have them use a simple charm to great effect. You five should all remember that sometimes even the simplest of spells and charms can provide the best solution."

"Professor, sir," Ron started. "Is it usually more difficult to use the Levitation Charm on larger and heavier objects?"

The tiny professor nodded. "It is indeed more difficult. That's the reason why you don't usually hear tales of wizards levitating whole buildings. It is possible to have Levitation wards, but those are tricky and require a lot of work and understanding of wards, the charm, and physics. I won't bore you with the details at this time, though."

As the feast went on, Harry was sitting next to Elsa and noticed she seemed a little lost in thought. "Is something wrong?" he asked her quietly not drawing attention to them.

Elsa blushed a little but seemed to appreciate he wasn't asking her out loud. "It's nothing to worry about. I just feel disappointed in myself for not thinking of the solution you did is all."

"Well you were busy focusing on guarding Hermione, so I think it's okay this time," he teased her a little. She gave him a half-hearted frown before giggling a little and continuing to enjoy the feast.

Elsa then looked over to Hermione and asked, "What was it you wanted to ask me about Hermione? If it isn't too personal."

Hermione shook her head. "I was just going to ask you what it was like dealing with the Goblins in Gringotts. Hagrid mentioned it would be a good idea to get my own account there." She hadn't really planned on telling the others. After everything that happened tonight, it seemed silly to worry about something like that at the moment.

"You didn't deal with them when you exchanged your muggle money for wizarding money?" Ron asked.

Hermione shook her head again. "Nope. They have a currency exchange office in a separate building. Something about it being more efficient that way or something."

"I didn't know that. Then again, I've never needed to exchange money," Ron replied.

Elsa answered Hermione once Ron finished. "I wouldn't really know, Hermione. I mean I was respectful to them like I would be an important banker or businessman in the non-magical world."

"Hmmm…" Hermione hummed as she pondered Elsa's response while they continued their feast.

{-} {-} {-}

Once the five friends made their way out of the room where they had their private feast, Ron started to laugh to himself.

"What is it?" Hermione asked.

He chuckled louder and said, "I was just thinking we should have brought Seamus with us. I bet his first spell would have caused the troll to explode. Then Harry wouldn't have gotten troll boogers all over his wand." This caused the others to laugh out loud with him.

Elsa smiled and giggled a little to herself before saying, "You know. I'm not too sure what next Halloween is going to be like. I don't think it will match up to my first one. I mean I really hope fighting trolls isn't a normal thing on Wizarding Halloweens. It would get rather boring after the first couple of times. But I really don't think any other Halloween would be as amazing. You'll have a lot to live up to next time, Harry."

"What?!" Harry asked in surprise.

"Well you're the one that kept telling about how amazing the holiday was and that you would make sure I loved it and found it special. Fighting a troll and living is really setting the bar high. How are you going to top it?" Elsa said with a smile and wink causing Harry to blush and the others to laugh.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: The Excitement and Perils of Quidditch

After Halloween, it was November and according to Ron it was, "Quidditch Season!". With Harry on the house team and Quidditch starting, Ron was unstoppable when it came to talking about his favorite sport and in his words "The best thing ever created!"

Harry was interested in all his friend had to say at first, but even he was starting to grow a little weary of Quidditch talk after the first couple of days. He loved what he had done with the sport so far and even more so now that he knew his dad played it as well, but there were limits and it seemed Ron and Oliver had formed some kind of agreement to not let Harry go two minutes without hearing something about Quidditch.

He would even sometimes "study" so he could get a break from it. Ron would of course say, "Study?! What are you talking about? Your first game is coming up soon! You need to be ready for it!" Fortunately, Harry would mention how Oliver told him academic probation was a thing and warned Harry not to get put on it. This usually got Ron to change his tune and even encourage studying despite not really studying too hard himself. Ron was perfectly fine with just passing and well maybe a little better than that, though he would never tell this to the twins.

There were even a couple of times Harry felt a little guilty since he wasn't actually studying all of the time. He wasn't slacking on his studies, but really, he wouldn't be able to stand actually studying every time he said he was to Ron. Hermione perked up the first few times, but soon realized what was going on. She almost made him feel even more guilty, but Elsa seemed to understand why Harry was doing it and she whispered something to Hermione that seemed to get the book worm girl to reluctantly agree not to get on his case about it. Harry didn't know what it was Elsa had said but he was immensely grateful to her for it.

Harry also found himself sometimes seeking Elsa out while he was, "Studying". Sometimes they would study a little but then talk after that. "Really…" Harry said with a sigh. "How can they be that into it? I mean I love Quidditch as well without even playing or seeing an actual game, but they are on a whole other level. I think Ron is even on a whole different level from Oliver."

Elsa giggled to that. "I think we've talked about this before Harry."

"Probably, but it is still a thing," Harry said.

After a little more silence, he asked, "So what is this Kristof guy like?"

Elsa thought for a moment before answering. "Well he likes to act like the big brother like I mentioned at Hagrid's. He loves being outside and working hard outside. He claims it's what a real man does or something like that, even though he's our age. He also has a very well trained and lovable if not goofy Reindeer he named Sven. The two seem more like brothers from different species because they can somehow understand each other. Sven does kind of act more like a giant dog though now that I think about it instead of a reindeer."

"I like being outside too, though usually with the Dursleys when I'm outside I'm doing chores," Harry said with a frown. He didn't mind being outside, but it quickly lost its fun if you spent the whole time pulling weeds and doing everything else for your Aunt's garden. Really the only time Aunt Petunia 'tended the garden' was to trim the bushes as a ruse to spy on their neighbors.

"I've never really done many chores before, but I too like going outside," Elsa said.

"Lucky… Wish I didn't have to do many chores," Harry mumbled causing her to frown.

Elsa spoke again with a huff oddly reminiscent of Hermione. "Oh yes… So very lucky. Instead of chores I spend most of my day in extra classes and learning things such as accounting and economics along with proper etiquette and foreign Languages… So very lucky."

Harry grimaced here and looked to the side and mumbled, "Sorry…"

Elsa then sighed. "No, I'm sorry. It's just that some people seem to think that I'm a spoiled little bratty princess or something. Usually it's the Slytherin girls, but I've heard a couple of Hufflepuffs mutter about such things too a little bit. Usually the puffs just call me the Ravenclaw Princess for some reason."

"But really foreign languages?" Harry asked.

Elsa nodded as she said, "Yes. English isn't my native language. I've also learned some French and a couple of others."

"Wow…" Harry said impressed. "I'm surprised with that and economics and such you have time to ever go outside."

Elsa gave a smile. "Well there's a reason why I usually get up at like 5am. When you start your day that early and work a little in the evenings there is a lot you can accomplished if you're determined enough, which I am for various reasons."

"So…" Elsa started. "What about Dudley? You don't really talk much about him. What's he like?"

Harry was in thought for a moment. "There's not really much to say about him really. He's excessively fat, stupid and mean. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon think he's just a perfect little pudgy angel. But I guess there's a lot of parents out there that think that way about their children. I don't really get to be that lucky. My Aunt had a really bad falling out with my mom when they were younger and they never really had a chance to make up with each other."

Elsa frowned a little, "Sorry to hear that." She then looked away for a moment before asking, "How come you love Halloween so much, Harry? I mean it is the night you lost your parents."

Harry gave a shrug. "I guess it's partly because I was told my parents died in a drunk driving accident they caused until recently. I also heard this one girl when I was younger who was from a religious family talk about All Souls Day. I asked her what it was about and she told me what it was and so I just chose to mourn them on that day if at all. I know that sounds a little cold, but I don't really remember anything about my parents. You know."

Elsa seemed to be in thought as she nodded to him. She then seemed a little uncomfortable with the current topic and asked, "So… What's your favorite class so far?"

Harry held his chin in thought. "It's either Transfiguration or Charms. I don't mind Herbology so much, but it does at times feel too much like the chores I do with the Dursleys. History of Magic's good for a nap, but little else because Hermione is always so caught up in concentrating that she won't let us goof off like everyone else. I'd say DADA is the most disappointing. I was really looking forward to it, but like you said he just copies the text book almost to the letter."

Harry then chuckled a little as he said, "Hangman's kind of fun at least." This caused Elsa to giggle. They spent the rest of Harry's study session away from Ron talking about little things and such. Harry found it to be almost calming in a way compared to everything else. Classes along with Quidditch was making things a little hectic. During these peaceful times away from Ron and sometimes even classes, despite their studying, it wasn't hectic and kind of nice.

{-} {-} {-}

It was finally time for Harry's first Quidditch match and everyone was excited, because it was the first match of the season. Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. Most of the school was routing for Gryffindor to win. Slytherin wasn't very popular as a whole really. There were some Slytherins who the other students were okay with, but usually the Snake house mostly kept to their selves. There's also the fact that everyone was excited about Harry Potter playing in his first game, because despite how much Oliver wanted Harry to be a 'secret weapon' the whole school knew about it soon enough.

Some of the Slytherins tried to intimidate Harry when they saw him in the halls. "Don't worry about that lot, Harry. They won't be able to touch you up there in the air," Ron would say almost every time.

Harry wasn't sure what to think here. He appreciated his friends' support, but they hadn't seen him fly apart from that first class. He never flew in a real game either. Maybe he wasn't really that good. It didn't matter that Oliver was always saying he was amazing and the others seemed to agree. Maybe he really was going to choke and fall off his broom when it came to the actual game.

Despite everything though, Harry was feeling both excited and nervous. It seemed that Elsa and Hermione noticed this, but Ron and Neville were both too excited about the game their selves. During the days leading up to the game, Harry really appreciated Elsa was still Elsa. It offset Hermione being helpful with quotes like, "I'm sure they have cushioning charms or someone on standby in case people fall by accident. I mean no one's died playing Quidditch… Right?"

Ron responded by talking about how awesome Quidditch was and how games could go on for days and players would fall off their brooms in exhaustion. There was even one time a referee died during a friendly match. This obviously caused both Elsa and Hermione to be much more concerned. Hermione glared at Ron as if it was his fault Harry was on the team in the first place.

Fortunately for Ron's sake, Neville added, "But that was like hundreds of years ago and now deaths are very rare if they ever happen. At Hogwarts, no one has ever died from a game. They might spend a little time in the Hospital wing, but Madame Pomfrey is amazing at healing." This seemed to calm the girls down a little, but Harry could tell if he died playing Quidditch they might very well resurrect him, give him a long lecture and then kill him again their selves for his being reckless. He also wouldn't put it past them to find a way to ban Quidditch all together despite the outrage that would cause people like Ron and Oliver.

When it was the day before the match, Harry's excitement level was greatly surpassed by his nervousness. He would be playing his first match in less than 24 hours. Hermione had given him a book titled, Quidditch Through the Ages to read in the meantime. He was happy about this because oddly enough reading about the sport let him forget his nervousness for a little bit.

He also learned there were seven hundred ways to commit a foul in Quidditch and all of them happened during the World Cup of 1473. He also learned there was a team in the 1800s that tried to reach that 'milestone' every game, but the team was disbanded before they could due to their Owner committing Tax Evasion with a couple of side businesses.

As the last day before the match continued, Harry found a way to keep Elsa around as much as he could. She didn't really complain. He was mostly doing this because she still seemed to be calming to him due to her own calm presence. He really didn't get what Hermione was talking about when she mentioned how Elsa had it tough because of this. Elsa hadn't really said anything about it and she actually seemed happy to be around them all.

One thing Harry didn't like was how Professor Snape seemed to be even worse than usual leading up to the game these past few days. They were all outside together gathered around a jar filled with a flame Hermione had conjured for warmth. Though Harry noticed he didn't really need it when he was really close to Elsa oddly enough. She also didn't really seem to need it either. She wasn't wearing more than usual apart from occasionally her fancy velvet pair of blue gloves.

"How come you don't get cold?" Ron asked suddenly. He was decked out in a thick robe and coat like the others. It was still cold even with Hermione's conjured flame.

Elsa shrugged. "Well I am from further up north. Where I'm from this isn't really that bad. Also, I bought some really well enchanted uniforms and robes. They make it so I am almost always at the right temperature, though it is probably more the fact I'm from someplace where it can get even colder than this." She then gave a laugh and added, "This is nothing compared to January back home." She actually never felt the cold, but she knew how much colder it got in Arendelle compared to Scotland on average during the winter.

While they were standing there together they noticed Professor Snape limping by. It seemed they had done something to get on his bad side though as he limped over to them. "What do you have there?" he demanded of Harry. Harry showed him the book, which was Quidditch Through the Ages. "Library books aren't allowed outside in the winter. Five points from Gryffindor." He then snatched it out of Harry's hand.

"But…" Harry started.

"Fine! Ten points from Gryffindor? Do I need to throw in a detention?" he threatened Harry. Harry shook his head and the Professor limbed away.

"He's just made that rule up…" Harry muttered as he frowned at the limping man.

"Probably," muttered Neville.

"I don't know what happened to his leg, but I really hope it hurts him and he feels it for a long time," Ron said with a glare in the direction where Professor Snape disappeared.

Once they retired to the common room because "It's too bloody cold out here!" according to Ron, Harry felt restless. He wanted the book back to get his mind off of things. He also couldn't very well bring Elsa to the Gryffindor common room either. She was also kind of commandeered by her Ravenclaw roommates for Girl talk or something like that. Elsa kind of felt a little guilty for having spent less time with them lately as well so she went without much argument. Harry understood her choice, but it didn't help him now.

Harry paced a lot while Ron and Hermione played a game of chess and Neville worked on some homework. Harry didn't have those options. He was terrible at Chess and because of all his study breaks with either Elsa or Hermione he was more than well caught up on his classes. He frowned to himself. He shouldn't be scared to get the book back. He knew Snape had no right to take it like that and he shouldn't let the greasy haired Professor get to him like that. It was bad enough he bogusly took ten points from Gryffindor for breaking what had to be a made-up rule.

"I'm going to get it back," he announced to his friends.

They were indifferent on the matter or as in Ron's case, "Better you than me." Harry left the common room and started roaming the castle. He wasn't sure where to find the potions professor, but decided to start with the faculty lounge and break room. He was sure someone would be there who knew where to find Snape. He could even ask them if the rule was real or not.

As he came close to the faculty room, he heard voices through the cracked open door. "How they hell are you supposed to get past the bloody thing? It has too many heads to keep track off…" Professor Snape muttered while it looked like Filch was replacing bandages on his leg.

Harry gasped and accidentally opened the door completely. Both men looked at him with displeased expressions. "Potter! What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to get my book back, sir…" Harry said. Snape blinked in disbelief but then pulled it out of his robes and tossed it at Harry who caught it.

"Get out now!" Professor Snape said. Harry quickly left hoping to avoid losing more than ten points from Gryffindor in one day outside of Potions.

{-} {-} {-}

When he returned to the common room he quickly and quietly told the others what he heard. "That explains what he was doing on Halloween," Neville said.

Hermione looked to him in question. "We almost ran into him on the way to the Girls Bathroom. He went to the third floor instead of the dungeons where the troll was supposed to be," he filled in for her.

"You know what this means." Harry said.

Hermione's eyes widened as she said, "You aren't suggesting…"

"That Snape's trying to steal whatever it is that thing was guarding?" Ron added causing Harry to nod and Neville to be in thought.

"But no… He wouldn't do that. He really wouldn't try to steal from Professor Dumbledore," she said in horror.

Ron gave an irritated sigh. "Honestly Hermione, you seem to think that teachers are all saints or something. Their people too. Their just as likely to do bad things as anyone. Snape's even the head of Slytherin. You know no one good ever comes from that house."

"Professor Snape is a professor though. Dumbledore trusts him enough to teach here. And considering Professor Dumbledore is the one person you-know-who avoided at all costs. I highly doubt Professor Snape, even if he was wanting whatever it is down there, would try something that foolish," Hermione defended.

Neville was still in thought. Harry was as well. Hermione did have some good points.

Ron gave huff and said, "You can't possibly be forgetting what happened on Halloween. If that troll really was a distraction and Snape pulled that off, then what isn't he capable of doing? Not to mention he did it right under Professor Dumbledore's nose. Snakes are cunning and slimly."

Hermione glared at Ron. "No. Ron. I am not forgetting what happened on Halloween… How dare you even suggest that! Especially when Elsa and I were caught completely off guard by it in such a place."

Ron actually looked to the side and grimaced at himself. He sighed. "Sorry… I didn't mean to say it that way."

Hermione gave a sigh to this and looked down at the chess board. "Just… Think before saying something like that next time." She was trying to channel what she thought Elsa would do in this situation.

After a moment of silence, Ron spoke again, but more cautiously this time. "It doesn't change the fact that Snape managed something like that without Dumbledore knowing it."

Hermione looked like she was about to say something and that her earlier anger was rising again. Neville spoke next though. "That doesn't fully explain how Professor Snape managed to arrive with the other professors though. I'm not saying he's innocent, but maybe he isn't as good as he thinks. I mean he got hurt by it. Maybe Professor Dumbledore is more aware of what he's doing, but doesn't need to do anything. Gran used to always say people often end up defeating their selves and that Professor Dumbledore was very good at letting bad people do just that."

Ron seemed in thought about that. Harry then added, "I remember he did arrive with Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall."

Hermione seemed to frown at them all. "Am I really the only one that doesn't think Professor Snape's trying to steal from Professor Dumbledore?"

Ron was about to answer "yes", but Neville again spoke first. "I'm not sure. It could be a possibility, but it might not be. We don't know enough about what actually happened. Maybe, though doubtful, Snape had a different reason for getting close to the thing. I mean he doesn't like us, but I don't think he is to that level of evil."

Ron gave a frown and Harry was wondering if he was going to have to say something. He and Neville had sort of figured out that if left alone Ron and Hermione could argue over small things for hours. They were getting better, since their arguments didn't seem they would last days at this point, but Ron and Hermione still needed to work on it.

Fortunately, he didn't have to speak on the matter. Oliver decided at that moment it was time for Harry's hourly check-in or maybe they were up to half hour check-ins by this point. "So, Harry. Are making sure to eat right at your meals? Make sure you get plenty of rest! We don't want you collapsing before the match because you're tired. But make sure you don't get too much rest! We don't want you so groggy you can't focus during the game."

Harry tried his best not to sigh or roll his eyes. Whether he was successful or not didn't seem to matter once he said, "Yes, Oliver. I'm being careful."

"Great! Remember to eat breakfast tomorrow! Don't starve yourself. Don't over eat too much either. Maybe I should get you a nutritional chart with a diet plan! See you later!" the quidditch captain then ran off quickly in search of such things. Harry might have been concerned or laughed, if this hadn't been happening all week long. Oliver would get distracted by some other important quidditch stuff and not get around to giving Harry a diet and chart.

Once the captain left, Neville shook his in astonishment. "I can't believe him…" he said quietly. Harry nodded in agreement. If he was looking behind him, he would have seen Hermione's eyes light up in victory at his nod due to her ties with the Anti-Quidditch Crazy Coalition.

Ron was too busy having returned to his chess game with Hermione to comment, "Yeah. He forgot to add measuring cups and such as well to make sure everything's measured out perfectly…" He probably would have then spouted out some fact about the right diet for a seeker and then the other positions as well. Harry was extremely grateful that didn't happen. He doubted he'd be able to escape from Ron's Quidditch Lessons and find Elsa. She was probably still busy with the Ravenclaw Girl Talk.

{-} {-} {-}

That night Harry slept better than he thought he would. He had a strange dream where the Slytherins showed up riding some kind of wizard weather machines that breathed out snow, ice, rain, fire, and any other kind of weather thing you could think of all at once. All would have been lost but somehow, he ended up with one of Elsa's weather proof enchanted cloaks and that made him invincible to all the Slytherins could dish out at him. Then they pulled out swords of fire and charged at him, but he had a sword of lightning and the cloak protected him. Harry found the dream to be ridiculous, funny, and enjoyable.

Sadly, his nerves returned in full force after he finished his shower and again fully realized this was going to be his first game and everyone was going to watch. Everyone around him was trying to be supportive, but he didn't like Seamus telling him to make sure to save his strength for the match. A couple of older students even said, "If you fall off your broom, which we totally don't think you will… But you know… Anyways make sure you at least fall off with the Snitch in hand."

During breakfast Oliver was telling everyone to eat breakfast, "…but not too much". He wasn't eating a thing himself the whole time. The team captain was also going over plays and such for probably the hundredth time since he woke up that morning. Harry mostly ignored it the best he could and looked around the dining hall.

Elsa couldn't be seen during breakfast and oddly enough neither were the other Ravenclaw first year girls. Harry guessed the girls ended up having another of their sleepovers. They were actually starting to get a bit of a reputation for their slumber parties. People didn't seem to understand what was going on, but at the same time they were a little jealous.

Eventually it was just before 11AM and the game was close to starting, though Harry wasn't sure where the other hours of the morning had gone. He was now making his way to the stands where he saw a sea of all the colors. He gave a smile when he saw the reason why the Ravenclaw girls hadn't been seen today yet. They were there with a big banner that read "Potter for Minister!" He then noticed Elsa, because of how well her hair stood out compared to those around her, tap the banner with her wand and it changed to say, "Potter: The Shooting Star Seeker!" She changed it again and it read, "Go for Gold Harry!" He found himself smiling and feeling much braver at that.

{-} {-} {-}

Harry felt both excited and then oddly calm and focused once he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. He then opened his eyes as both teams walked out on to the quidditch pitch from opposite sides. Harry took in the sight of the stadium and the sounds of all the cheering from the audience. He might have lost his focus, but he then looked over and easily found Elsa and the banner she and the others made.

When they were all lined up facing the other team, Harry noticed it seemed the Slytherin team went with all people who made Crabbe and Goyle look like kindergartners. He probably should have been nervous, but instead he actually felt more confident. He was sure they were decent at quidditch, but it was obvious Marcus Flint was more focused on intimidation rather than skill. It was a bit of a strategy, get your opponents off their game and thinking twice about every move they make. However, Harry didn't feel that way. Maybe it was because he knew a friend of his wasn't even phased by the head of Slytherin and so the actual students didn't seem as scary as they usually would be. Maybe it was the fact that he knew Slytherin had no idea what he was capable of and that might have caused them to go this route instead. He saw they were trying more to shake him of confidence than the rest of the team, but he wasn't buying what they were selling.

"Alright! I want a good clean and fair game!" Madam Hooch said. Harry noticed her eyes lingered on the Slytherin team a little longer and then she also gave the twins a look as well for some reason. Harry wanted to laugh at this, but he realized that was a bad idea.

"Brooms! Ready!" she shouted as they all mounted their brooms and raised up to the main play area of the pitch. She then blew her whistle and tossed the Quaffle up really high.

"And… Slytherin gets the tip off!" shouted a voice from the stands. Harry supposed he shouldn't be surprised there was a commentator for the game. "Angelina Johnston intercepts the pass and scores! She really is beautiful!" the voice belonging to Lee Jordan said over a microphone of some kind.

"Lee… We've talked about this…" McGonagall's voice said from next to him.

Harry looked around as he searched for any hints of gold he could find. He was suddenly knocked off of his path by the Slytherin Seeker. "Ouch that had to hurt!" Lee said. Harry gave a quick glance towards the Slytherin and picked up his speed leaving the bigger student in the dust. "HA! Potter will have none of that! He wasn't even phased by that knock and that seems to have confused the Slytherin Seeker, So and So. I forget his name. No matter he's clearly so dumb he can't even figure it out on his own."

"Lee!"

"Sorry Professor… Not sorry!" Lee said earning a glare from McGonagall. "Flint goes up for a score chance…" Lee said clearly not at all paying attention to his head of house. "And Oliver knocks it back straight into Katie Bell's capable hands! I heard she likes the color purple. She'd look really good in it." Lee then shifted a little as McGonagall frowned at him. "And she scores! Obviously, she would. Gryffindor's Chasing trio are renown for the beauty of..." Lee noticed the deputy headmistress' eyes. "... their teamwork! What did you think I was going to say?" Lee said causing the professor to roll her eyes at him.

Harry then continued circling the pitch from above watching the chaos below and with surprising ease dodging the stray bludger that came his way.

{-} {-} {-}

Elsa took in a deep gasp when the Slytherin Seeker bashed into Harry. She could almost hear the impact even though Harry didn't seem to really recognize it. She couldn't help but smile as her eyes brightened when she saw Harry give the opposing seeker a "Is that really all you have?" look before shooting off faster while leaving the Slytherin Seeker confused at how ineffective his tactic was.

"Go Harry!" she shouted in a very unqueenly manner as she then gave a "Woo!" as a follow up. She was starting to think that maybe she had been a little too harsh on Ron and Oliver. Sure, it looked like it was a bit tough up there, but Harry seemed alright and it was thrilling watching him and the rest of the game. Katie Bell, Angelina Johnston and Alicia Spinnet were a wonder to behold as they flew this way and that. As the commentator said, they had very good teamwork. It was like they each knew where the others would be on the field.

"Hmmmm…" Cho started. "I do hope Gryffindor wins, but the trio are looking to be even tougher than they were…"

Elsa looked to her questioningly. Cho blushed a little. "Sorry, Elsa. I do want Harry to do good, but I'm on the Ravenclaw team… I can't help but analyze and worry."

The undercover princess gave a nod of understanding. "I get it. Athletes are always thinking about the game and their team when they watch it. I will try to be at least neutral whenever Ravenclaw plays Gryffindor. All other Ravenclaw games, I will obviously be routing for you and the rest of the team to win," she said to the second-year girl.

Cho seemed to appreciate this as she smiled in thanks to Elsa. She didn't have anything against Harry and even helped make the banner they were using to support him. Elsa had promised she wouldn't use it whenever Gryffindor and Ravenclaw were playing each other. Cho took her word for it. Partly because she found it kind of cool and different that Elsa seemed to manage being good friends with her roommates and her friends from Gryffindor.

"How is Harry doing? In your opinion, Cho?" Lisa asked as she tapped the banner to change the slogan.

"He's actually pretty good. Even more so considering he's fresh to the game and didn't grow up in the wizarding world. His Nimbus 2000 does help out a good bit, but it takes talent and good instincts to bring out the best in the broom," Cho said. Elsa seemed to be impressed by Harry hearing that. Cho gave small unheard giggle at the sight. She was a bit of a romantic and she could tell Elsa at the very least had a crush on Harry. Hearing he was doing really well from someone more experienced in the game probably got the girl's heart to skip a beat at the praise of her chosen crush like what happened with every girl regarding their crush.

The game had been going well but then suddenly Harry's broom started to act odd. It happened shortly after Lee had shouted, "Wait! Was that the Snitch?!" The girls gasped as they watched what was happening above them. The broom was trying to buck him off or something. Cho frowned to this. She wasn't sure where it was coming from, but she could tell someone somewhere was jinxing the broom. Elsa was holding a clenched fist to her chest as she took in a deep breath and the area seemed to get a little colder than it was.

Cho looked around the stands unable to make out who was responsible for what was happening to Harry. She was concerned because as a newly minted seeker herself and a longtime lover of Quidditch she hated it when something apart from a player's skill was interfering with the game. She might have looked more into what was going on in the stands, but she kind of felt her older student instincts kicking in and so she instead placed a comforting hand on Elsa's shoulder as the girl relaxed. Elsa then said to herself, "He'll beat this…"

Fortunately for Harry's sake, Cho wasn't the only one who noticed something was up and they acted quickly. Ron was looking at his friend with concern and Neville was worried that something really bad might actually happen for the first time in a Hogwarts Quidditch game.

Hermione was shocked but then she thought, " _What would Elsa do?_ " She had no idea her female friend was actually just staring at the game in worry at the moment. Hermione could tell something was off with this situation almost right away. While the others worried, she grabbed Hagrid's binoculars and was deeply glad he was using them to watch the game from his hut earlier before joining them. The frizzy haired girl started to scan the other side of the stands.

She was angry, deeply annoyed and disappointed when she managed to see Professor Snape chanting words while keeping eye contact with Harry up in the sky above. She was angry for obvious reasons. She was both annoyed and disappointed because Professor Snape's behavior gave credence to everything Ron had been saying about him. " _What kind of person would jinx a student's broom in the middle of a school Quidditch match?_ " she asked herself.

"Come with me," she said as she started to move. Both Ron and Neville followed without much argument.

"What's going on?" Ron asked.

"It's… Professor Snape… He's jinxing Harry's broom," she replied in a slightly hurt and betrayed tone.

Ron might have been tempted to say something along the lines of "HA! I told you he wasn't any good!" and then felt victorious. However, he was concerned about his friend and even he could understand Hermione's tone. He now had even more reason to dislike the Potions' Professor and he didn't think that was possible.

Hermione lead them under the stands as they made their way over. "This way," Neville said. He was pointing to a path that would let them walk behind the stands unnoticed. It wasn't too long until they were standing right at Snape's feet, but they didn't know what to do about him.

"If he's jinxing the broom then we just need to break his eye contact," Ron said to the other's surprise. Hermione was gawking at him with her mouth open for a few seconds before she figured out what to do. Neville was keeping an eye out to make sure there weren't any curious eyes looking their way.

Hermione then got an idea. It might not have been the nicest idea, but she wasn't feeling really nice at the moment considering what the professor was doing. She cast her fire jar spell at the base of Snape's robes. Ron was impressed with this move. Neville was a little wary of this move and decided it was probably a really bad idea to ever get on Hermione's bad side. The trio of friends then made their escape and just as they were in the clear the heard someone say, "Professor Snape! Your robes are on fire!"

Professor Snape then stood up quickly and accidentally knocked into a few of the people around him including Professor Quirrell who barely kept his turban from falling off his head. Hermione watched as the game came to a surprising end.

{-} {-} {-}

Harry had just done a loop de loop in a minor celebration of how well the game was going. Just then the snitch was sighted and he found it. He started diving towards it will all the speed he could muster. However, his broom jerked unexpectedly. He thought maybe he was just imagining things, but it then bucked.

Harry managed to hold on, but he was starting to wonder if maybe brooms had a wild ornery streak or something. He thought that would be strange if they did. He also noticed no one else seemed to have any problems with their own broom. He was holding as tight as he could and fighting his broom with all he had. He felt as if he was achieving partial victory over it, but that wasn't enough. There was a part of him that was thankful the Slytherin Seeker seemed more focused on his broom than the actual snitch.

"What's going on here?!" Lee shouted over his mic. "The broom seems to have suddenly turned on Harry!"

Everyone was concerned now it seemed. Even the Slytherin team, apart from Flint, seemed to be either worried or laughing. The twins flew over to him trying to get him straightened out, but even they were no match for the wild bucking broom.

Oliver was busy trying to decide if he should call for a time out or just focus on the goals. He was still much more concerned with Harry than those other things despite how Quidditch Crazy he was. Madam Hooch was also concerned and trying to get him to land his broom, but his broom was too fast and unpredictable for her to get even close.

Harry did his best to hold on and try to control his broom. Then suddenly. It was no longer going crazy but it was in a free fall! Harry might have tried to pull out, but at that moment when he no longer had to worry about his broom he noticed a glint of gold close to the ground.

The crowd thought Harry's broom had died, but he knew better. Harry leaned down low on his broom and brought his body closer to it. He was trying to make himself as aerodynamic as possible to increase his speed before the golden orb disappeared again. Harry felt the wind rushing against his face and watched as the ground seemed to race towards him.

He kept diving and heard the people gasp as the Slytherin Seeker finally realized Harry was going for the snitch. He too tried to chase after the golden ball, but he was too far away and he didn't know how to make himself more aerodynamic on his broom. The bulk of his body he was brought on for was now a tremendous amount of drag. His distance from the snitch compared to Harry also played against him. He had been too busy laughing at Harry and at how Flint was scoring goals without any problem during this whole scene.

Harry was close to the ground now and watched as the snitch started to move forward just barely above the ground. Harry pulled out of his dive and leveled off barely above the grass. He could even feel his shoes brushing against the taller blades of grass. He needed more reach to get the snitch. Harry then did something that was very cool (if you asked Ron) or very stupid (if you asked Hermione) or somehow a mix of the two (if you asked Elsa who was holding her breath as she watched). The messy haired boy stood up on his broom as if he was coasting on a surf board. He reached out and his hand was centimeters if not millimeters short of the snitch.

The Gryffindor Seeker wasn't paying as much attention to his flying as he should have been. As he was focusing on the snitch, his broom dipped ever so slightly and brushed a little too hard against the ground. Harry opened his mouth in surprise as he was launched forward. He hardly registered that he had something in his mouth before he was tumbling on the grass and his broom went wild again before coming to stop next to him as he too came to stop after several somersaults.

{-} {-} {-}

Elsa knew she should be trying to think about what was actually happening, but she was really worried for Harry. She couldn't take her eyes off of him as his broom tried to buck him off for some unknown reason. She watched as the twins and madam Hooch tried to help him but to no avail. A part of her mentally frowned as Flint scored several goals while no one was watching. That same part had to begrudgingly admit he was only doing what he was allowed to do and taking advantage of his situation, even if it wasn't exactly proper.

Elsa watched and gasped as Harry was doing all kinds of stunts to keep on his broom. It was as if she was at a Wizard's rodeo watching the bucking broom contest. She also noticed how even with Harry distracted like this, he was still flying better and faster than the Slytherin seeker.

When her friend suddenly went in a dive, she figured maybe he was getting control of his broom again. He kept diving though and she was worried that he had completely lost control of his broom and couldn't recover. She shut her eyes as it looked like he was about to splat into the ground, even though she still kept one eye open to watch everything.

When Harry managed to pull out his dive with ease barely above the ground, Elsa gasped loudly with the majority of the audience. She watched in amazement as he obviously had full control of his broom and was gaining on the snitch. " _Almost there! Almost there, Harry! Just reach out!_ " she thought to herself as she cheered loudly while watching.

She had never fully realized how dangerous this sport could be, or how amazing and intense it could be as well. Harry then did something that she had to admit took her breath and caused her to stare at him in awe. He was standing on his broom as if surfing the grass. She thought it stupid, but it was also "Cool!" she said louder than she meant to speak. No one really noticed her words because they were all completely focused on the game.

Harry was then vaulted forward off his broom with his mouth open and he tumbled a few times before coming to a halt. Everyone, including Elsa, were silent hoping Harry was okay. Madam Hooch made her way over to him. Harry looked like he was gagging on something or about to throw up. Instead he coughed up a golden snitch and held it high above so all could see. "I can't believe it! After everything that happened to him and his broom! Harry managed to catch the snitch! He did catch it in his mouth, but I don't think there are any rules against that. We will have to see how the ref calls it," Lee said as he seemed to dance in place with the mic in hand.

Madam Hooch was in thought for a moment as she looked in the rule book. Harry kept holding the snitch in his hand. The ref then blew her whistle. "Harry caught the snitch. 150 points to Gryffindor and that's the end of the game! Final score! 180 Gryffindor to 60 Slytherin!"

The crowd then shouted out in glee. Elsa shouted louder than she thought she could. She had never pictured herself as a sports fan, but Quidditch was intense and amazing to watch. Plus, she had a friend who played it. She tapped the banner with her wand again and it shot out sparks as it read, "Gryffindor wins!"

Harry felt elated as he heard Lee repeat the score and saw it in bright numbers on the scoreboard. Flint kept trying to say that Harry didn't catch it but had instead swallowed it. The truth was, while unconventional, what Harry had done was within the rules and counted as a catch.

Shortly after the score was called and the game ended, students began to flood the pitch and were eager to congratulate Gryffindor for winning against Slytherin. The Slytherins either headed back to the castle or the locker rooms as they griped about the game being 'fixed'. They completely ignored all of the blatant fouls their team had committed in the game or how Flint sort of kind of cheated while everyone focused on Harry's bucking broom.

Harry was pleasantly surprised, though he shouldn't have been really, when Elsa managed to end up being one of the first to make her way to the team. "You were amazing, Harry!" she said with a smile as she gave him a tight hug. Some of the students around them chuckled before then congratulating the team.

"I'm not about ta hug ya, Harry. But that was some mighty fine flying up there. Ya know considering," Seamus said with a grin before offering a hand to Harry which the boy shook while smiling.

Harry then chuckled and said, "I don't mean no offense, but I really don't want a hug from you, Seamus. So no hard feelings." Seamus and Dean both laughed as Dean shook Harry's hand next.

"I imagine Elsa's hugs are much better than his would be," Dean said with his laugh causing Seamus to laugh louder as he claimed he only hugged girls anyways. Elsa giggled and shook her head at them.

{-} {-} {-}

Harry finally left the locker room after the game had ended. Oliver insisted on giving them a post-game pep talk and lecture. It lasted a lot longer than Harry would have liked.

"Oliver… We won the game… We can go over this stuff next practice," George said with a sigh.

Fred then concluded by saying, "It isn't like we can really analyze the game at this point anyways. We're all too excited about winning and everything happened so fast." Oliver got the hint and let them change and get ready to leave.

When he exited the locker room, Harry had expected to see his friends there. He had not expected to see the faces they were making, or the fact that it looked as if they had just been arguing with Elsa. "What's going on?" Harry asked.

"We should go somewhere else to speak, Harry," Hermione said as Elsa was still frowning at the ground incredulously.

"Hagrid's would probably work," Neville suggested as Ron nodded.

Harry appreciated that his friends seemed to be concerned about him. At the same time though, he wasn't happy that they decided to act this way after he had just won his first Quidditch Match. He supposed that underlined how important what they had to say was in the end. He also figured their behavior was the reason Elsa seemed upset as well.

The five friends made their way to Hagrid's hut in silence. Harry tried to garner what was up from Elsa, but she just shook her head at him when he looked her way. Harry sighed after a while. It figured something like this would happen. It was just his luck. The same luck that made him Professor Snape's favorite target in Potions and landed Gryffindor in the class as Slytherin. It also decided that he shouldn't get to enjoy winning his first Quidditch for long.

They knocked on Hagrid's door and entered once the giant of a man let them. He already had tea ready and everything. Harry guessed Neville already had told him they would meet there or maybe Hagrid genuinely thought they would arrive to celebrate with him. "Harry! That was some might good bit o' flying ye did. No idea what yer broom was on about, but still to catch the snitch and win the game regardless?! Yer father would be proud o' ye!"

Harry felt guilty that they weren't here to just enjoy time with Hagrid and to celebrate Gryffindor's victory. He also noticed that he wasn't the only one feeling a bit upset at what was happening, if Elsa's expression was anything to go by even if it was hard to read. Harry gave a smile and said, "Yeah. I don't know what happened either. But did you see me surfing on my broom there at the end to get the snitch?!"

"Aye, I did," Hagrid said and then chuckled. "Might want ta be a might bit more careful next time. Not so impressive that you tumbled there at tha end." Harry gave a chuckle as well.

Hermione then frowned as it seemed she decided she would have to be the one to ruin the mood. "We know what happened," she said getting the attention of Harry, Elsa and Hagrid.

"It was Professor Snape…" she said with a frown as her voice trailed off at the admission.

"He was jinxing your broom, Harry," Ron clarified.

Harry's eye narrowed to that.

"It's true," Neville started. "We saw him. He was muttering the curse while keeping eye contact with you."

"Now what are ye getting on about 'ere?" Hagrid said with a frown. "Ya'll 'ave talked about Snape not liking Harry and all, but even he wouldn't go that far."

Silence followed him before Elsa spoke up next. "I kind of have to agree with Hagrid here. Professor Snape is undoubtedly the most unpleasant Professor, if not person at Hogwarts, but I really don't think he would go that far. Are you sure he wasn't…? I don't know… muttering a counter curse?" She asked.

Hermione looked to her and evenly said, "He was keeping eye contact the whole time. When we broke that contact, Harry went into that dive of his and ended the game."

Elsa was considering this. She didn't really see how he could do that, but it was very suspicious that the jinx ended when they distracted him. It could be possible that it was coincidence, but not very likely. She still wasn't sure though.

"Besides… We know he was trying to get past that giant three headed dog on Halloween," Ron said.

"How do ye know 'bout Fluffy?" Hagrid asked out loud in surprise.

"That thing has a name? What's it guarding anyways?" Hermione asked.

"I shouldn't had told ya that…" Hagrid muttered as the others started to bombard him with questions. All thoughts of Professor Snape jinxing Harry's broom had flown right out the window as fast as the Nimbus 2000.

Elsa was also shocked to learn the dog had a name. When she thought about it, she could see Hagrid probably being the one responsible for it. He was the Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. Also given his size he could handle most animals in ways no one else could, even if he had a tendency to think they were just cute little cuddly misunderstood animals.

"Ain't no body or no thing that can get past Fluffy! I shouldn't have said nothing. You all should forget I even mentioned it and forget ye ever saw him. No get out of here," Hagrid said in a brusquer voice than normal.

Harry and the others might have tried to get something else out of him and pressed their luck, but Elsa knew they were no longer welcome for now and hurried them all out of there and back to the castle. She still felt a bit bitter about this happening. Why couldn't they have just enjoyed Hagrid's company and celebrated Harry winning the match? She'd never been to an after-game victory party before and was looking forward to it. She also didn't appreciate how they tried to get information out of Hagrid. There were better and more pleasant ways to do that.

Elsa also didn't want them risking getting on Hagrid's bad side in a way they wouldn't be able to come back. Plus, there was the fact that he could have gotten in trouble for speaking to them as much as he did. Hagrid may be a loyal friend and trustworthy, but he wasn't very good at keeping secrets usually and it seemed as if the others were blatantly taking advantage of that fact. She didn't like it, but she could understand curiosity getting the best of people.

"So, Professor Snape really is trying to get it. Isn't he?" Hermione said in a crestfallen manner.

Harry gave a sigh as he said, "It seems so at the very least." It was a bit sad, but also kind of good that Hermione seemed to finally be understanding that Professors weren't automatically perfect. It still didn't change the fact someone like Snape was after something that was very important and most likely powerful.

Elsa may not be fully convinced yet, but even she couldn't really fault them for thinking this way. It really did seem he was guilty. Probably even more so to them given how they've talked about his behavior during their Potions Classes.

She gave a sigh as she said, "Well it was still a great game, Harry. I'm glad you won." She then gave them a wave as she went and had lunch with her dorm mates.

The rest of the day had a much sourer taste to it given they knew Harry's broom was jinxed. Harry and the others did their best to smile and seem happy about Gryffindor's victory, but some noticed something was up and that it wasn't something to ask about. Harry sighed as he went to bed that night. Instead of happily thinking about winning the game, he was wondering more what was Fluffy guarding and what did Snape want with it.

He also now felt a little guilty they had pressed Hagrid for information again and was kind of glad Elsa rushed them all out of there once the giant of a man got upset with them. He really didn't want to lose that friendship since Hagrid introduced him to the magical world. As he slowly fell asleep, Harry again wished he was better at reading people like she was.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Elsa Explores

The week after the first Quidditch match was coming to an end and Elsa was again in Defense Against the Dark Arts. It was a class that always seemed more underwhelming than the last to be honest. Professor Quirrell, didn't really teach them much. The class was supposed to have a decent practical aspect, but the turban wearing Professor decided theory was enough. It had quickly become a class you could learn the same thing from just reading the book alone.

Professor Quirrell was very twitchy and always seemed to be looking over his shoulder or into the shadows. He also stuttered a lot. If she cared to really think on it, Elsa or anyone might think it was rather fake with how often and predictably it occurred. He seemed to have it timed almost. A real stutter isn't that controlled, and it comes and goes.

"Do you have any idea why he's this bad?" Elsa asked Ron who was sitting next to her this time.

"Fred and George think he had a really bad run in with a vampire or something and never recovered," Ron answered.

"Hagrid told me he was good at book studies, but he tried to take a year off for practical experience and that's what made him like this," Harry added as Ron nodded in agreement. This was something they had probably discussed many times before, but the class was so bad you couldn't help but ask the same question again and again.

"Shhh…. It isn't polite to talk while the professor is… teaching…" Hermione said from Harry's other side. She was still trying to take notes in the class, but even this habit of her's was starting to slowly wain for just DADA. The truth was she was just doing so out of habit really, even she realized Quirrell was mostly repeating the text and sometimes used visual aids. Those visual aids were plastic models at best, and most of the time just enlarged diagrams from the text book.

Elsa couldn't help but say, "Come on, Hermione. He isn't teaching at all. Even if he was sticking to theory alone, he could still give us more than just the basics from the book. We've discussed this before."

Ron gave a quiet chuckle as he added, "He even said 'regarding Werewolves, there is no cure for their bite. There is however the Wolfsbane potion which can ease transformations. For more information, look in a potions book.' Which is exactly what our book says. Then he moved on to the next topic."

Hermione gave a sigh. She wasn't going to win here. There was a part of her that wished she would just join her friends on the dark side which Elsa teased had cookies. She even brought some one class and only shared with Ron and Harry since they were already on the bark side. She did share some with Neville and Hermione after class, but her point had already been proven, professor Quirrell didn't even call them out for eating during the class.

Hermone would never dare think this in any other class, but she knew the stuff for DADA and even her notes were repeating what she did on her own when reading the book alone. It also didn't help that Professor Quirrell didn't even really do anything if he noticed you weren't pay attention apart from occasionally saying, "Pay Attention." Points were deducted in really rare cases.

The only time anyone really paid attention was when he demonstrated a spell. That was something that didn't happen too often. Even then most of the spells weren't really too complex and easily taught. Lumos was probably the most complex and useful. Elsa was excited and learned the spell quickly, but really she already had better lighting magic she could use without a wand.

Elsa was usually better at going through the class, but today was an exception. She had decided it was time to go for a proper exploration of the castle. She was really looking forward to it. She was going to spend most of her free time doing so today and maybe even tonight. She probably should have invited the others to come with her, but she hadn't fully forgiven them for already having an adventure without her during the Midnight Duel incident.

Regardless it didn't matter. She was set on having her own adventure now and then she would tell them all about it later… maybe. She had mostly forgiven them for that, but there was a part of her that felt she had to catch up if that made any sense. This also meant she had to be kind of reluctant to share it with them.

There also was a part of her that wanted to use her real magic some while exploring and that meant no one else could be around. Traversing the castle to parts seldom walked would be the perfect chance for her to do so. She didn't want to get out of practice using her ice powers after all. She did need to learn to control them even more than she already could. " _Yes. Even more reason not to tell them about it,_ " she thought still trying to convince herself she wasn't being a child on the matter. She was a crown princess. She wasn't allowed to be a child like that.

{-} {-} {-}

It was finally time for DADA to end. Elsa was relieved, because she wasn't sure how many more games of Hangman Ron could handle. He may be a Wizarding Chess genius, but a Spelling Bee Champion he was not. Hermione tried her best to stay focused on the class, but even she couldn't keep it up and sort of watched their games towards the end of class.

Harry either thought more on what Fluffy was guarding or watched Ron and Elsa's game for the duration of the class. Neville spent his time going over previous chapters of his book again so that he at least seemed to be paying attention while hopefully improving himself. After the dog and later the troll, he was sure being friends with Harry meant lots of trouble would follow. Naturally that meant he needed to be ready and needed to not just study but to a point master first year material at the very least. He wasn't about to end his first friendship by leaving the others alone and we wasn't going to be a drag on the group.

"Ugh… I'm so glad that class is over…" Elsa said in an unqueenly manner. "I swear this was one of the classes I was looking forward to the most apart from History of Magic." She gave a sigh, "Unfortunately that's 'O' for two in my original favorites category."

"I know what you mean… At least the other classes are interesting," Hermione said much to Ron's shock. Elsa nodded in agreement with her female friend.

Ron never thought he would hear the day Hermione admitted a class was boring let alone two. He was about to say something but then Neville spoke up, "Except for potions…"

Harry grimaced to that. Potions was his least favorite class. It was interesting and dead useful, but Snape was about as enjoyable as being constantly poked with a fire poker while his uncle read the phonebook aloud. Even then Harry wasn't sure which he would choose over the other. "I hoped it would get better after a little while," he said.

"You're telling me," Ron started. "I'm almost convinced being a willing practice target for Fred's and George's pranks would be more pleasant." Neville and Harry nodded in agreement while Hermione frowned.

Elsa gave a half frown. "Is it really that bad? Sure Professor Snape is as fuzzy and warm as a block of ice, but he isn't that bad in class is he?"

"That's because you're in Ravenclaw and have the class with Hufflepuff. Snape hates Gryffindor. And me even more," Harry said.

"I just don't get what his deal is," Hermione said with a sigh. She was still trying to deal with the fact that Snape seemingly was jinxing Harry's broom during the game. She had tried to convince herself he was just that crazy about the sport. There was some evidence to support this theory given how often he actually got into debates about it with the other professors at meals, but it didn't excuse his behavior during the match.

Elsa shook her head. "I really wonder how they select their teachers here sometimes. I mean if he is actively hating students he shouldn't be teaching. Not to mention thinking it a good idea to put a bunch of kids in a room unsupervised with a man who clearly has an untreated severe case of PTSD."

"What's PSTD?" Ron asked.

"It's PTSD, Ron." Hermione corrected him. "It stands for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Sometimes when someone goes through a very intense and disturbing experience, it can really… mess with their head in a bad way." She tried to explain things in Ronese. The subject was more complicated than that, but Ron wasn't one for complications.

Hermione then looked to Elsa and said, "I never really thought of that being the case with Professor Quirrell... I think I would have preferred not thinking about that." She looked to the ground and frowned. If he was at least getting treatment it wouldn't be too bad, but on top of that after thinking on it she really did believe he had a very severe case.

"He seems more likely to run out randomly than turn violent at least… Guess it is a good thing he's in the middle of the room with a clear path to the door behind him." Elsa said as she placed a hand on Hermione's shoulder to reassure the girl.

She decided to try changing the conversation, "So Potions is really bad for you guys. Do you guys at least practice it on your own then? He's also the kind of teacher that just says read this page and the instructions and that's all at times."

Hermione gave a huff as she looked over at Ron and Harry. "Well I do. I also keep telling them they should as well, but these two don't listen to me." Ron gave a defiant frown and looked away. Harry at least looked sheepish. "With Neville it's different…" she added looking to her other male friend.

Neville gave a sigh, "Snape really gets to me. I can't focus in class at all and I always mess up when trying to study on my own."

"No wonder. You're like his second favorite target, mate," Ron said with a sympathetic shake of his head.

"Hermione tries to help but…" Neville started as he looked to the frizzy haired girl.

Hermione gave a sigh. "I'm not exactly the best teacher for Potions it seems…" Hermione sounded as if she was a complete failure of a friend because of this.

Elsa gave Hermione a smile as she said, "Don't worry about it, Hermione. You're still a brilliant witch and a good friend." Hermione seemed a little more at ease hearing Elsa's words.

"I can try helping you, Neville. I'm not too bad at the class," Elsa said with a smile. Neville looked to her in thought. "Plus, I did help my sister a lot of times with school work. I kind of know how to help others and won't get too frustrated like Professor Snape can."

Neville smiled to this and said, "Let's give it a try then. When should we meet up?"

"Want to get started tomorrow afternoon?" Elsa asked.

Neville nodded eagerly. He was excited about maybe getting to finally learn potions better. He then frowned. "Can we maybe make it twice a week starting next week? I think that would help me out best."

Elsa nodded. "We can do that. I have Potions Tuesday and double on Thursday. So how about Wednesday during fourth period and Saturday or Sunday afternoons?"

"Saturdays sound best," Neville answered as Elsa gave a smile.

Ron shook his head and muttered, "Bloody mental… Doing school work Saturday…"

Hermione was about to go off on him, but Elsa merely gave a giggle to Ron's statement. This seemed to cause Hermione to change her mind. The frizzy haired girl had made it a bit of a habit to use Elsa as a gauge on how to react to certain things. She had decided Elsa clearly knew this friendship stuff better than she did, even if the blonde haired beauty claimed she was learning it as well.

As they walked together for a little longer, Ron looked to the others and asked, "So… Anyone up for a game of chess or something?"

"Actually… I kind of have something already planned for today. So I'll have to pass. See you guys later," Elsa said as she started to speed towards her Dorm.

Ron gave a huff and said, "You're just afraid to lose to me again."

Elsa then turned around and teasingly said, "I'm better at Hangman then you are." She almost stuck out her tongue, but decided that would be too unqueenly of her and gave a giggle instead. Ron gave her a half sincere scoff as he rolled his eyes at her. Elsa held back a laugh as she waved to the others and continued towards Ravenclaw.

"Soooo. Harry. You up for a game?" Ron asked.

Harry gave a groan in response.

Ron was about to suggest something else when Neville surprisingly spoke up. "I'll give it a go, Ron." Ron blinked in surprise for a couple of seconds before then smiling. Whether he was smiling because he was getting to play his favorite game with a friend, or if he figured he would end up winning big time, was something only Ron knew.

{-} {-} {-}

Elsa made it to her room and deposited her books in her trunk and let out a sigh. She wasn't sure why she bothered carrying so many of her books with her. She could drop some of them off during breaks easily. Elsa guessed she didn't because she instead spent the break time talking to others before her next class started usually. Whatever the reason for carrying so many she had to agree it felt good to drop the books off.

She stretched for a moment before she grabbed a smaller bag and loaded it up with some basic first aid stuff. You never knew if something was going to happen or not. While she felt fairly safe in the castle especially with her powers, it was still a good idea to be ready just in case. Plus, having a bag made her feel like Indiana Jones, or at least his niece maybe or something. " _I just wish I had the right outfit,_ " she thought to herself. Her clothes worked because she was used to them, but part of her thought it would be cool if she had something like a safari outfit to wear for such occasions.

Looking over her bag and running through the list of supplies one last time was all she needed to be ready to go. She was just about to leave when Morag entered the room, "Where are you going?"

Elsa gave a nervous smile as she sidestepped her roommate and said, "I was just going to go look around the castle some. Later!" She then left Morag alone in the room.

Elsa was glad that she didn't have any other run-ins as she left the dorm. She wasn't opposed to spending time with her roommates, but she didn't think they were really the type for thorough exploration. They would just walk down a few halls looking forward before finally returning back to their dorm satisfied with just that. If they wanted more adventure than that, they would just read a book and were perfectly fine with that. As far as Elsa was concerned, that wouldn't do at all for what she planned.

She continued to walk until she approached the dungeons where the Slytherins usually left towards or arrived from for meals. Most people would think to explore the many towers and courtyards you usually saw from the windows of the castle. Elsa was sure those would be plenty interesting, but this trip was more of a down below expedition.

Most students knew the Slytherin dorm was in the dungeons and under the lake and that was all they cared about regarding that. Elsa knew better than that. If the Slytherins were under the lake, even if it was just a shallow end of the lake, that meant there was plenty between the main part of the castle and their dorm. " _Plenty to explore especially!_ " Elsa thought as she turned and descended the first set of stairs.

Once she was at the bottom, she looked down both ways of the hall. She also looked and took in the details of the portrait near the stairs she just descended. She didn't pay much attention to the actual subject of the portrait, since they had a nasty habit of moving on you, instead she took in the other details. Details like the intricately designed frame and the backdrop along with the props in the picture. These were things that wouldn't suddenly move on you for some reason.

"May I help you, young lady? I don't think you're in Slytherin," a portrait of a fat man wearing an entirely too ridiculous robe asked her. She still thought it was odd how the portraits talked, but she had kind of gotten used to it. Part of her wished the portraits in Arendelle Palace also talked. That would be so very interesting and fun to hear about historic events from someone who was actually there.

"Just admiring the details of your portrait is all sir, I'm not in Slytherin. I'm looking around the castle. I figured there was much more down here than just the dorm. It really is an exquisite frame you have," Elsa said with a friendly smile. The man in the portrait seemed to swell a little in pride to her words. She guessed some portraits saw not only their position in the school as a status symbol, but the details and frame around them as well.

"Too right you are. Few people ever realize just how much there is to this castle. Be careful while you explore mind you," he said to her before pulling out an old pipe and lighting it up.

"Thanks for your advice, sir. I will," she said as she decided to go left down the hall.

{-} {-} {-}

Elsa descended two more floors before she ran into anyone else. "What are **you** doing down here?" asked an unmistakable and nasal voice.

"Nothing of your concern, Draco," Elsa replied nonchalantly and made to side step past him.

Draco however wasn't satisfied with her answer and especially her tone. It seemed too dismissive for his liking. He was the Malfoy Heir after all and this was 'Slytherin" territory. He had Crabbe and Goyle block the hallway, or at least attempt to. They were large, but still the hallway wasn't exactly small.

Nevertheless, Elsa gave a sigh and said, "I'm not trying to sneak into Slytherin if that's what's bothering you. I doubt I would even be able to figure out the password if I wanted to."

"Still. What are you doing down here?" Draco asked.

"You best answer him, girl," Crabbe grunted at her as he and Goyle tried to look more imposing.

Elsa fought hard not to roll her eyes at them. She instead looked to Draco and asked, "Why do you care, what I do?"

Why did he care? Why did he care?! " _Why do I care?_ " he asked himself. She was just in Ravenclaw. Sure, she was friends with those Gryffindors, but she wasn't really one that got involved in their arguments unless she was ending them or was directly provoked. She was also tolerable during History of Magic and they occasionally talked a little. He gave his only answer not realizing she had already glided around their barricade. "Because I asked you a question and you didn't answer it." He finally answered.

He looked around for her but couldn't see her. "Where'd she go?" He asked his bodyguards/minions. Crabbe shrugged and Goyle blinked stupidly. Draco rolled his eyes at them. He then saw her down the hall, but decided not to bother any further. He simply said loudly, "Never mind. It isn't worth my time, Elsa."

He waited a couple of seconds and when no response came he said, "Come on let's go outside." He then led the way as Crabbe and Goyle looked to each other and shrugged their shoulders before following.

Elsa gave a laugh to herself once she was out of earshot from Draco. It was funny how easy it was to trip up the 'self-important' with a simple question sometimes, even if they managed to be tolerable most of the time away from Gryffindors. She was glad the encounter was over regardless of how entertaining it was. She was pretty sure she wouldn't have too many other encounters if any from here on out. She was pretty certain she was about to be past the Slytherin Dungeon area.

{-} {-} {-}

Elsa descended two more floors and things were finally starting to look a little more interesting. The torches hanging on the walls were older than the usual ones around Hogwarts. The cobwebs were less 'artistic' and more natural here as well. The stones used in the walls looked older and less cared for here. She could also feel the flows around her were heavier and less disturbed. They felt more ancient than the rest of the castle's flows as well.

The part of the castle was on the less bright side of things too. " _In fact…_ " Elsa looked around to make sure no one else was in the area. She gave a smile as she decided it was clear and opened one of her hands upwards. Ice particles started to form a globe like object above where here hand was. Once the globe was formed it started to glow with a white light.

This was a trick Elsa loved and learned early on when exploring the palace with her sister in the past to give them better light to see. She could end the magic with ease and no one would be the wiser. When it was fully formed, the light hovered above Elsa's head lighting up the hall even better than a Lumos spell would.

Elsa couldn't help but grin in excitement. Oh how she wished Anna could enjoy this adventure with her. Elsa gave a brief sigh to that thought as she pushed it to the back of her mind. She needed to look around. She needed to examine and check out rooms and so much more. She didn't have time to dwell on her sister, because it would make her sad thinking about something that could not be.

She started looking into many different rooms she came across while exploring. Many of them were empty or had really old school desks in them. The designs of objects in the room and the room itself were interesting to look at but that was about it really. She was hoping to maybe find some old school books, but it made sense there weren't any to really find. After all, the books were probably moved when the classroom was no longer used. They were either disposed of or they were locked away somewhere tight for safe keeping if no longer needed.

Even if the rooms weren't all that exciting, Elsa was really enjoying herself. One thing she did in many of the rooms was feel the flows of the room and see if she could imagine anything about what had happened there in the past. Sure, it wasn't like she could clearly see images of the past or anything, but she liked to think there were at least echoes of some kind in each room. She had some evidence this was the case, even if it was hard to fully explain. The flows seemed to have some kind of story and feel to them that could help the imagination.

{-} {-} {-}

The exploring princess came to a different room from the others. She could tell it was different before even entering the room because she could feel energy flows of some kind coming from it. She examined the door. She tried turning the knob, but it was locked and wouldn't budge. She found this peculiar and grew more determined to get it open.

"Maybe if I pull on the door hard enough it will break free of the hinges?" she thought out loud. It made sense in a way, this was an older part of the castle and maybe the hinges were rusted and falling apart or really loose. She tried pulling the door knob harder and grunted with her effort. It was no use.

As she stared at the door in thought, she wished she knew how to pick locks and had the tools to do so. She pulled out her wand and pointed it at the door and said, "Alohomora!" It didn't really do anything to the door. Elsa sighed and guessed that made sense. After all, it only made sense any places with real security in the wizarding world would be enchanted not to open by use of that simple spell.

She wondered then why it was Hermione was able to use the spell to enter the room with the three headed dog along with the others. Wouldn't every witch and wizard use a method to lock doors and protect them from being unlocked by this spell. "Then again it seems the magical world lacks common sense at times. Maybe they simply forgot that spell existed let alone a first year muggle-born could use it," she sighed to herself.

She thought maybe it was similar to the portraits who guarded dorms meaning it required something before it would open. Elsa looked at the door and decided to just knock on it, if that didn't work she could try using her ice magic to break it open. She hoped she didn't have to have a password to enter. Elsa extended a fist and knocked lightly on the door while saying, "Door could you please open up?" If this was a magical door then maybe it talked or something, so she figured it was best to be polite.

The door creaked and then an old dusty voice spoke from the door knob as dust spouted out. "About time you used some manners."

Elsa, surprised it actually did talk, answered the question without thinking. "Sorry about that. I didn't think I would come across a sentient door while exploring the castle."

The door was silent as if waiting for her to say something. Elsa sighed and added, "Maybe I should have thought that a possibility given this is a magical castle."

The door knob laughed/coughed up more dust. "So why do you want inside?" it asked her.

"I'm exploring and I find it intriguing there is a locked door down here. I was hoping it might be more interesting than the other rooms, even if they are interesting in their own way," she replied.

"Really? You think those rooms are interesting? Why? They don't have anything inside apart from old desks and such, not even books or scrolls," the door said to her.

"True," Elsa nodded. "Still they each have a bit of a different flow to them. Even if they are empty now, they once were filled with life of some form. I like to believe there are echoes in each room if nothing else. You just have to learn to listen or feel them. I'm not very good at it yet, but I plan on improving such a skill."

It was odd, but Elsa could have sworn the door was looking at her and judging her. She waited patiently soaking in the fact she was talking to a door that understood her. It was really cool in its own way. It was something she would have to tell the others all about, if she decided to share this adventure with them.

"How long have you been able to sense flows, Crown-Princess of Arendelle?" The door asked. It sounded just as smug as would be expected at knowing her secret.

Elsa's eyes widened before she stood up and glared at the door with her icy blue eyes readying her hands in case something was about to happen. "How do you know who I am?"

The door actually seemed to shiver as it said in a more subdued voice, "I'm part of the castle itself. The castle knows who you are even if the ghosts and portraits don't. Didn't the headmaster tell you this?"

Elsa lowered her hands and smiled sheepishly as she said, "Ohhh… Yes, he did. I didn't think that counted the doors of the castle as well."

"Well partly… But really only us sentient ones actually know," the door knob spoke in a calmer voice. "Besides I've see your light trick before. It seems to be something all your gifted ancestors figure out and create on their own."

Elsa smiled at this as she asked, "So you knew some of my ancestors? What were they like are you really a door? Can I enter the room?"

The door gave aa chuckle as it said, "I did know of many of your ancestors. In fact, I was created by one of them. This room is something many of them worked on and occupied at one time or another. Yes, you may enter." The door then opened to let her inside.

Elsa gasped as she stepped inside. The room was well kept, large and even brightly lit. It gave off a friendly and welcoming feel to her. As she entered, the door behind her closed and the voice spoke again, but this time it didn't sound dusty or really ancient at all. "However, your highness, I am not really a door. I am for lack of a better term a magical construct."

Before Elsa's eyes a blue light appeared and a figure stepped out of it, the figure was that of a middle aged dignified looking man. He definitely seemed like a butler even if his outfit was severely dated. "I'm Marvin. Magical butler to the Royal family of Arendelle. I serve those of your family who have awakened the gift. Usually while they attend Hogwarts."

"This room was created as both a Haven and an Office for those of your family attending Hogwarts. Each of them have contributed in their own way to the room here. Including the main project." Marvin then smiled as Elsa watched a map light up behind him.

"What is this?" Elsa asked as she looked it over. It looked as if it was a map of Hogwarts. There were many parts of it not complete or just partially complete. It was a bit difficult to make out things in particular though.

"Well a trait that has popped up in your family many times is a thirst and love for exploring. This is the Royal Arendelle Hogwarts Expedition Documentation and Recording Project. Usually it's called the Project or the Archive for short. It is something that became a hobby of pretty much all your ancestors during their time at Hogwarts. They also took to recording their many magical discoveries while here." Marvin then pointed to the many book shelves along the wall.

Elsa looked over them with awe and an eagerness to read them all. "There is so much here… I wouldn't have time to look through it all…" she said with a frown.

"That is why long ago Queen Elaina created me. I know everything in these books. If you need something I can either tell you or give you the sources to help you answer the questions you have. After all, many believe it is best to see the material for yourself and to interrupt it as you see fit, especially for those in the Royal family. One thing that has always been true is how the Queens and Kings of Arendelle are resourceful and have a great deal of ingenuity."

Elsa nodded to his words and said, "That's why Arendelle has almost always been prosperous and powerful as a country and still is." Elsa started to look around the room and the books in particular. They were organized by name. "So… What was with the whole door routine?"

"Ah…" Marvin started. "That was a little test I guess you could say. Though I am sorry your highness, I may have made it go on for longer than it should have. The minute you knocked on the door and asked to enter, I knew you were of the Arendelle Royal family. I protect this room and more or less sleep until one of your family with the gift finds this place."

"Well it seems to me you have done a good job of that. I couldn't get in here easily. I think the only way left would have been for me to try and break down the door with my Ice Powers," Elsa said as she touched one of the journals with a smile. She could in a way talk to her ancestors through these journals. She could learn more about them as something more than just a name and the policies and laws they passed. She could learn what they were like as people while attending school here at Hogwarts.

Marvin spoke up again after a little while. "So you have Ice Powers. That's interesting. I am not sure what would happen in your case, but if anyone else was to break down that door the room would exist in a sort of separate pocket of reality. The invaders would only see an empty room much like the others."

Elsa gave a hum in thought, "So it isn't common for even those gifted with magic in our family to have Ice Powers?"

"You are not the first and mostly likely won't be the last. Some however, will be gifted with different special powers. In some cases, a Princess of Arendelle can awaken their magic, but have no special power on top of that. They do usually end up very talented in magic use regardless," Marvin answered as Elsa came back to look at the map projection in the center of the room again.

"That makes sense. Make use of what you have and master it. Can I zoom in and out with this map or rotate it?" Elsa asked the magic butler construct.

"You can. Either with your hands or your wand. If you get good enough with magic, you can even do so by just concentrating on what you want to see on the map once you are more familiar with it," Marvin said to a wide-eyed Elsa.

Marvin gave a smile as he told her, "This room has been around for a long while. There has been plenty of time for your ancestors to optimize it over the ages. It's even been moved a time or two in the castle."

"Really?!" Elsa asked in astonishment. "I figured that would be something only the first creators of the castle could do or maybe an exceptionally talented Headmaster."

"One of your Ancestors was in fact a Headmistress here at Hogwarts long ago. She was the youngest of three princesses. She fell in love with the magical world and later a wizard. Her name was Elvira. When she was in charge here she made some changes to the room and the castle to help further protect the Royal Family from people trying to figure out who they are. One of those changes made it possible for the Royal family members to move the room. It isn't easy to do though." Elsa would be lying if she didn't say she felt a little pressure to live up to her ancestors after hearing this little bit about them.

She looked at the map again and noticed there was a dot on it marking where she was. She maneuvered the map so that was centered and looked it over. She was pleased to see there was in fact a secret passage nearby she could take that would bring her close to the main hall. She wouldn't have to worry about bumping into Slytherins anymore to come back here again in the future.

She looked at several places on the map that were marked and seemed interesting to explore. She also took some mental notes on places that weren't yet added to the map that she would make a point of discovering sometime. She gave a sigh and quietly said, "Too bad Anna isn't here. The Elsanna Exploration Society won't be as much fun without her…"

"Who is Anna?" Marvin asked.

"Oh sorry," Elsa said feeling a little embarrassed she hadn't introduced herself yet. "Anna is my younger sister. I'm Elsa by the way. Anna hasn't shown any signs of the gift yet and… because of something that happened in the past. She doesn't have any memory about the existence of magic."

Marvin could tell this was a sensitive subject for Elsa. He didn't pry. He did add his own knowledge to maybe ease her a little bit. "That doesn't mean she won't awaken the gift sometime. Even the rock trolls can't fully get rid of memories when it comes to the Royal Family. They're still there inside her mind somewhere. She may never recover them again, even if she does awaken the gift, but they are there. It is possible she will recover those memories."

"So you call it the gift as well. I was expecting you would call it magic like most do," Elsa said. She mostly ignored what he said about Anna awakening the gift. That was a very wonderful dream, but one that would most likely just make her feel even worse and miss her younger sister even more.

"I was created by your family, Princess Elsa. That point aside, the gift is a much better descriptor than just magic. What the Royal Family has is something more amazing and magnificent than magic alone," Marvin said to her.

Elsa looked him over with interest as she asked, "How alive and independent are you, Marvin?"

"I am not fully sure myself. I don't really have a corporeal body. I'm also not like the ghosts of this world either. I am capable of thought and insight and even to some extent emotional empathy. It is part of what allows me to help the royal family when they need it here. I will never betray the Royal Family or Arendelle though. I don't think I could. Not that I want that option mind you. Doing so would go against my very core," Marvin answered.

Elsa continued to look him over with interest a little longer. She wasn't sure what to do about him. "Are you allowed to leave this room?"

"If you require me to do so, yes. However, I am limited to the Hogwarts' grounds not including the Forbidden Forest. There is too much raw and wild magical energy there for me," Marvin answered.

Elsa nodded and decided to put more thought on that later. Marvin spoke up once again. "I must inform you that I am not your only servant here at Hogwarts, Princess Elsa."

Elsa looked up to him at that. "Who else is there?" She was again surprised by what all she had discovered today from a simple exploration. She found a special private room for all in the Arendelle Royal family, she found what was best described as a Magical Intelligence and now she was being told she had servants here at Hogwarts.

"Are you familiar with House elves?" Marvin asked.

"I have heard a good bit about them from my dorm mates, but I don't know much about house elves personally," Elsa answered honestly.

Marvin had a bit of a glum expression before he spoke again. "I must tell you their story first and listen to it all, Princess Elsa. You need to understand why Queen Talia made the choice she did." Elsa sat down and looked to Marvin to show she was ready.

"House Elves are magical creatures. However, at one point in the past something happened to their race as a whole. They needed a wizarding family or institution to keep their magic and their lives. They can survive without being with a family, but it isn't easy and doesn't last forever."

"Unfortunately, wizarding families started casting them into the role of servant because of how helpful they are and how they want to have a wizard family's gratitude. This wasn't so bad at first, but one thing led to another and some families treated them as little better than slaves. Fortunately, most wizarding families who have house elves today still treat them with some respect or even as part of the family," Marvin said.

"So, I've heard. They are sadly forced to be with these families regardless of their situation," Elsa said with a frown.

"There isn't any known alternative out there. No one has really looked much for an alternative, mind you. The wizarding world sees it as a simple fact of life. To find a different solution, would be very difficult," he answered her.

Elsa didn't like this at all. What was even worse, she knew Marvin was right. Finding a different answer and getting people to go with it would require a life time dedicated to this cause. As much as she disagreed with it, there wasn't too much she could do. She would need to be on good terms with Wizarding Britain for a long while and she had a country she would have to run and think about above all else, including herself at times. " _Maybe someday I will at least be able to help someone else figure this out,_ " Elsa thought.

"So does this mean I have house elves in some fashion?" Elsa asked.

"Yes it does. I will tell you why that is if you are ready to listen again," Marvin said as he looked at his Princess. She gave a nod before sitting back down.

"Queen Talia, at the time Crown-Princess, loved seeing the vast magical world during her free time. She also had a knack for getting into trouble and being extremely independent as well. One day she was visiting a magical desert…" Elsa eagerly listened as Marvin told her the tale of one of her ancestors.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: The Tale of a different Crown-Princess and Future Queen

Crown-Princess Talia loved the desert and all it had to offer. She always thought there was a certain beauty to vast sand dunes under a cloudless blue sky. She knew it was a difficult and harsh place, but she was a witch and just of age! She may not have the extra gifts many of her ancestors had, but she was very talented with her wand and knew how to take care of herself, even if she still had one more year left at Hogwarts.

As she looked over the desert, she noticed a group of people gathered together. She approached them cautiously. She didn't know who they were, or if they were friendly or not. She even used a disillusionment charm to turn herself near invisible for protection.

She crept closer to the group and listened to what they were saying. It was hard to hear them over the wind of the desert though. She had to get even closer. She might have been more careful of the group than she already was, but she figured they were just a group of muggles. They looked just like she had heard the desert nomads in this area looked. She also knew that while it was a magical desert it was also used by non-magical people a lot.

Talia got closer. She could just make out what they were saying now. However, they had stopped talking and were looking around. She wondered if they sensed an oncoming sand storm or something.

What she hadn't expected was for the group to stand up and quickly fire stunning spells in all directions. She also hadn't expected one of those spells to hit her and cancel her disillusionment spell. She gasped wide eyed in surprise and before she could do anything two more stunners hit her quickly followed by a rope spell that tied her up. She was out cold.

Sometime later she was suddenly forced back to consciousness. She sat up quickly and looked around as she tried to get her bearings. She did not like what she saw. She also didn't like the crooked smirk the man before her gave.

"Well. Well. Looks like we found quite the tasty dish. I wonder who you are. You can't be someone sent after us by that foolish lord. You would have sensed our security wards and not walked right into them. You also seem to be alone."

Talia quickly made to grab her wand. She couldn't feel it though. "Looking for this?" another man said as he held up her wand for her to see. "This certainly is a pretty one. Probably custom made and expensive too." The other man twirled her wand between his fingers as he spoke.

"I bet you belong to some pure blood family from Britain. You look like one of them and they love to visit the area. They find it exotic. I bet you'll fetch a pretty sack of galleons," the man in front of her, who seemed to be the leader of this group, gave a deep greedy chuckle.

Talia did all that she could at the moment. She gave him the worst death glare she could. "Oh… that certainly is a nasty look. I like it…" The leader then stood up and nodded to two of the guys who took up guard positions. He turned to her as he left and said, "Word to the wise, Mi Laaaady. You might want to behave yourself. Otherwise I might not be so inclined to return you as undamaged and unsoiled goods to your family."

Princess Talia's green eyes widened in horror at the meaning of those words. The leader gave another chuckle as he left the tent. She knew she had to find a way out of here and quick. She would try later tonight maybe. She'd have to be careful not to take anything they give her either. She would make a break for it and grab her wand and leave.

She knew apparition was out of the question. She wasn't skilled enough to do so without a wand yet. She also doubted this group wouldn't have put up anti-apparition wards as precaution. " _I'm never travelling completely alone from now on unless I absolutely have too,_ " she thought as she sat there and tried to plan her escape.

The upcoming days she knew would be difficult for her. She would have to keep from eating or drinking anything they offered her. Fortunately, being magical did let her go for a little longer without such things. She knew what potions could do and how easily they could be delivered. The leader might act like he is some "noble and better than that" criminal, but he was still a criminal. She wouldn't put it past him to give her something laced in a strong lust potion and after the group had their fun with her he would give her a knock out potion followed by a forgetfulness potion while acting like she only passed out. They could even go further if they used spells for healing and removing evidence of what they did to her. She was pretty sure, or at least hopeful, they hadn't done so already.

{-} {-} {-}

"Still not eating or drinking I see. You know this can't last forever. You will die if you go for too long. It's rather impressive you haven't died from thirst yet, usually it only takes two or three days," the leader said.

He then gave her a look and nastily said, "You will have to eat and drink. And I've decided I will have my fun with you then. I might keep you around as a lust filled little pet even. Of course your family will know regardless, I've always hated you stuck up rich types. It would be so much fun to take you to your family and have my way with you in front of them when their helpless to do anything about it. The whole time you'll be so loaded up with the strongest lust potion you'll be begging me to do whatever I want to you."

Talia just gave him her now trademarked glare. The leader gave a scoff and stood up as he said, "I warned you about that, Miss. Had you cooperated with me from the start you wouldn't have had anything to worry about. I would have returned you to your family perfectly healthy and unsoiled. My men and I would be perfectly happy and rich and you could get on with your life never hearing from us again. We wouldn't have even taken your whole fortune either. After all, if you had nothing left to lose you might try to get back at us for what little good it would do you."

The leader left again. Talia would have to make her move tonight. They had untied her since they figured she wasn't in any condition to do much and had locked away her wand. She could care less about her wand at this point. She would escape and that would be it. She knew they weren't too far from the edge of the desert now. She just hoped once she escaped she would be able to make it out and find water along with help to get back to Arendelle.

{-} {-} {-}

It was late in the night now. Talia had managed to rest some. She was as ready to make her move as possible. Most of the men were asleep now apart from one guard outside keeping watch to make sure she didn't escape. They figured since she didn't have her wand and hadn't shown any signs of wandless magic she was helpless. If she was your normal witch, they would be right. If she was your normal gifted Arendelle Princess, she would have already dealt with them and be back home. Sadly, that wasn't the case. On the bright side, she wasn't helpless. She wasn't going to make a move with lots of them keeping watch, but one she figured she could handle even if it would be tough.

She peered out her tent flap and watched as the guard moved.

Talia quietly sneaked out of her tent and hid behind a different tent closer to where she was going to exit. She looked to make sure the guard wasn't nearby. She then ran to a stack of boxes right along the edge. She looked again to make sure the coast was clear.

She frowned when she noticed the guard decided to break up his patrol routine. She waited for him to be in front of her and look out towards the desert. She grabbed a piece of rope nearby from on top of a box and quietly ran up to him. She quickly wrapped the rope around his neck and pulled tight using her body for extra force before he could alert anyone else.

He struggled, but soon he stopped moving. She wasn't too surprised. Most wizards were actually very squishy and weak without their wands or magic, even if they were otherwise a monster to be feared. She thought about grabbing his wand, but decided against it. She didn't want to have to force a wand to cooperate with her at this time.

She carefully moved forward and tried her best to sense the flows around her. It wasn't easy for her, but she could manage it. Pretty much all Arendelle Princesses with the gift could do this. It just wasn't easy for every one of them, even if they had extra powers it was still something they had to work on usually.

Talia sighed in momentary relief when she found a gap in the wards. It was small but she could make use of it even without a wand. It was just much more draining, but she didn't have a choice in the matter. She needed to escape and do so without waking up any of the other bandits. She would have to buy a new wand, but that was okay. Talia slipped through the wards and made a run for it following the flows to get her bearings.

{-} {-} {-}

The sun was up and it was so hot. It didn't matter that it was early in the morning, or that deserts were really cool in the night. The morning sun was up and it quickly raised the heat as well. Talia had made good time and was very certain by this point she had most likely completely eluded her captors.

However, the drain from the sun and the lack of both food and water as well as her running were taking their toll on her now. She looked to the horizon again she could just barely make out what looked like a tree line. She focused and calmed her mind the best she could. She wanted to make sure it wasn't a mirage.

It wasn't! Talia wanted to run as fast as she could!

She wanted to continue forward, but she knew that horizon was still miles and miles away. She continued to move forward stumbling every so often and picking herself back up slowly before starting again.

The Crown-Princess of Arendelle stumbled over one last time. This time all she could do was look up to the horizon. "This is it. Isn't it?" she asked no one. Maybe if she rested a little longer then tried again it would be okay.

She stared at the horizon except this time she noticed figures of some kind. There were too many of them to be her captors. "Over here!" she tried to shout at them. She didn't know if they heard her or not. She decided to flare her magic to get their attention. It seemed to work!

The beings were heading her way quickly. She felt relieved. She was rescued for sure this time! She just knew it. The figures came closer. She thought she heard voices, but it made no sense they still looked too small on the horizon. She slowly faded into unconsciousness. She thought she made out small wrinkled creatures with big ears. " _House elves?_ " was her last thought before she drifted off.

{-} {-} {-}

When Princess Talia came too much later, she was shocked to see a group of house elves around her. They were all wearing worn clothes that served as their uniform. The house elves were looking at her with their wide eyes and wrinkled faces with their big ears. She always thought that the ugly creatures were cute in a way really. She tried to give a laugh but felt too exhausted.

"Missus is waking. Here missus take this." A small female house elf with green hair said as she held a glass of water for Talia and the others left. The princess grabbed it quickly and almost swallowed the water whole. The house elf stopped her by reminding her, "Take it easy, Missus. Too much too quickly is bad for yous."

Talia nodded her understanding and slowly sipped the water. It was so refreshing if not also a little painful because of how dry her throat was. "Holly has food for Missus if Missus wants it." The elf offered a bowl of soup. Talia wanted to eat a whole deer fresh from the forest, but again she knew this was best. She hadn't had anything to eat in days. She wouldn't be able to handle a whole deer.

"Thank you, Holly." Talia said to the elf hoarsely. The elf looked surprised but happy at the thanks. After having some of her soup and more water, Talia spoke again. "Who all saved me? I wish to speak to them, even your fellow elves."

Holly gave her a smile. "Holly will go get all then. Flinny will want to meet Missus anyways." With that the little elf left to go get the others.

It wasn't too long when Talia found herself surrounded by several pairs of big eyed and bat eared creatures. However, what she found strange was just how colorful all their hair was. She knew when elves were younger they had exotic colored hair, but usually wizards only saw the ones who were older with little hair or were bald. It was bizarre to see so many young house elves even if there were only a handful of them.

She also noticed one other thing severely absent, but for now it didn't matter to her. She spoke, "I wanted to thank you all for saving me. I was on the brink of death. I had just escaped from some foul and horrible men. They wanted to do terrible things to me because I refused to cooperate with them. I escaped, but as you all know I was close to dying. I probably wouldn't have made it without your help." The elves all seemed to glow at her thanks and smiled brightly at her.

"Thank you, elves. Thank you for saving my life," She concluded. She then swallowed as she asked, "Where is your master? I would like to thank them as well."

The elves looked to each other with frowns and avoided eye contact with her. Finally, it was Holly who spoke up, "Wes have no masters… Wes… we were Guston elves…"

Talia's eyes widened. She knew of the Guston family. It was a terrible tragedy. A group of wizards didn't like the actually progressive stances Lord Guston pushed on many things. They searched him out and took him and his family in the middle of the night. The whole family was killed that night. Eventually, the criminals were caught and sentenced to Azkaban, but the Guston line was completely dead. The estate was handed over to the British Ministry of Magic.

"That had to have been several years ago…" Talia thought out loud.

"We are all that are left…" a different elf said. Now that she thought about it, she never wondered what happened to the house elves. She assumed they would have gone to other families.

Talia gave a frown as she said, "I'm sorry to hear that…" She wasn't sure what else to say really.

Fortunately, she didn't have to say anything. A different elf stepped forward. He looked older than the others even if only by a little. "I is Flinny. I wished to speak to missus if missus was okay with it."

Talia couldn't help but give a dry giggle as she said, "You all saved my life. If you wish to speak with me I will speak with you."

The elves seemed to stare at this or blink in wonder. "Tells us about these bad men." Talia took another sip of water as Holly refilled her glass. She then told them about the men.

{-} {-} {-}

She finished telling her story to the elves and they were wide eyed as always. They reminded her of children having just finished Storytime. Many of the elves left once the story was over quickly though. Flinny stayed and was in thought before asking, "Did you get your wand after you escaped?"

"No I didn't. Why?" Talia asked.

"That bad men leader is craftys. Hes able to use wands to track down witches and wizards. You didn't take any food or water from them did yous?" Flinny said to a shocked Talia.

"No. I didn't. I feared what potions they would use on me. Why?" Talia asked a little panicked.

"Missus is luckys then. Bad men leader has to take longer time to use wand to tracks you. How long were you out in the desert away from them before you found us?" The leader elf asked.

"Half a day max maybe? I snuck out in the middle of the night and made sure to do so without being discovered. Can we get my wand back? Is it too late?" Talia asked panicking a little more now. If she was back in Arendelle it would have been one thing, but she wasn't. Also she didn't like the idea of that man tracking her down. She wouldn't put it past him to do so.

The elves looked to each other and seemed to exchange silent words. Flinny eventually gave a nod and spoke once more. "Wes can get it for yous. Missus rest now. Regains health and strengths. Elves get wand for you. We is giving it to you in morning."

Talia felt relieved as she took to her soup once more. She felt exhausted and ready to sleep once again. Flinny left and was followed by Holly who called to him, "Flinny waits!" Talia might have thought more on that reaction, but her exhaustion was settling in. She thought she heard them discussing something outside, but she couldn't make out what it was before she slept once more.

{-} {-} {-}

The next morning Talia woke up as she felt her wand was nearby. She also felt much stronger. That house elf soup was something amazing if she already felt this much better. She opened her eyes as Holly walked into the tent. The green haired elf seemed a little sad though.

"Holly, what is wrong?" the princess asked.

"It's Flinny… He used too much magics last night getting you this. I is glad he got it though. Hes good house elf. Always has been, even without masters to server," Holly sobbed.

Talia was confused and thought, "Wouldn't their magic just recharge after a little rest?" She then sat up straight and asked, "What do you mean by he used too much magic what does that mean?"

Holly sobbed a little more before speaking. "House elves need magics to live. House elves need masters to recharge magics. Natural magics helps, but it's not good enough. Wes been dying off slowly since we was born since we haves no family. So few of us left…"

Talia got to her feet and asked in her 'Queen' voice. "What is there I can do to help?"

Holly's sobs seemed to stop as the elf's wide eyes widened more. "Only ways to helps us is if we becomes Missus House elves."

Talia thought it over briefly. She would do this. She knew what it meant, and she didn't fully agree with that, but this was to save their lives. They saved her life it was time she returned the favor. She would do what she could to be a master worthy of such loyal and kind elves.

"I will do it. What do I need to do?" She asked Holly.

Holly's eyes widened as she quickly answered, "Follow me. Others gathered around Flinny already. Say your name and titles if you have suchs and then says you take these elves as your own." Holly led the way out of the tent.

When Talia saw the shape Flinny was in, she was more determined to do this. Flinny looked up and said, "Missus not need worries about us… Wes just do what elves do..."

"I will not hear any of that. You have saved my life the least I can do is save you and the others," Talia said. Flinny seemed to nod weakly to this as if he knew there was no arguing with her.

Talia stood tall and straight as she extended her hand over the elves in front of her. She felt the flows of the area. She let her magic ride with them and directed them around the elves gathered in front of her. She then spoke in her Queen voice. "I, Talia Crown-Princess of Arendelle and Student of Hogwarts take these House elves as my own. So I proclaim with the power of The Gift!"

The air and sand around the area settled as the flows froze before then rushing forward and into the gathered elves including Flinny. They were all encompassed in a bright white light as the air around them burst forward in all directions. Inside the light, there was the sound of an earthly and natural song as a wave of comforting warmth filled Talia and the elves alike.

The spectacle continued on for a few minutes before it slowly died down. As the last of the light faded away, the elves gasped at the feeling of power and life that filled them. Flinny slowly sat up as he looked to Talia with tears of happiness in his eyes. "Thanks yous Missus Princess. Thanks yous."

"Thanks yous!" the other elves said as well. Each and every one of them seemed to be beaming in happiness. They felt as if something once missing had been returned, even if they never had it before like many of the really young elves gathered. Princess Talia was relieved she was able to help them. The only other thing that was on her mind was what to do about the desert bandits and then to escape this desert with the elves.

In the end, she decided to ask her elves what they knew of the bandits and take actions based off of that information even if it was to retreat for now. She would ask them and she was sure they would have plenty of information. Now though, she would just enjoy the atmosphere with the jolly little beings. She also needed to figure out a uniform for them as well. She wasn't happy it came to this, but she was going to make the best of the situation. After all, sometimes that's all you could do in life.

{-} {-} {-}

Elsa stretched as Marvin finished up that part of the tale. "So what did she end up doing in the end with the bandits?" She asked when it seemed he had decided he needn't say more about Talia. She really found the tale fascinating and wanted to hear more.

Marvin looked over his new Princess and thought what to say. "I won't go into too much detail because that is a long tale in its own right. I will say that she managed to take care of them and it turned out to be the solution to a much bigger problem as well. I do hope you at least understand why she took in House elves now, your Highness,"

Elsa stood up and asked, "How is it they have survived without a family here?"

Marvin gave a nod in approval, "An excellent question. It seems to have something to do with the way Queen Talia worded her oath. That is one thing that is very important in the wizarding world. There are oaths that can have dire consequences if they are broken. Some, though forbidden, even can take your life if you enter it and fail to meet the conditions set forth by the oath."

Elsa thought over the words again and gave a nod. "Maybe since she was still a student here at Hogwarts and mentioned that as one of her titles that means Hogwarts can count as an institution they are tied to."

Marvin nodded to this and Elsa gave him a sigh, "You know I'm pretty sure you already knew that, Marvin. I was hoping we were past the testing me phase by this point."

Marvin bowed as he said, "Forgive me, Your Highness. I was simply wanting to get to know you better. I think it also has to do with the fact she proclaimed the oath on the gift instead of just magic. I think it makes it so they can better live around sources that way. As for 'testing you', I'm an old magic intelligence. I just woke up as you knocked on the door. I haven't been delighted in such company for ages. I was asleep more or less, but I was still a bit aware of what was going on in the castle during these years."

"You were lonely. I get it. Still as much as I enjoy figuring out answers myself, try not to make it a habit to 'test' me frequently. I have plenty of those in my life as it is already. Hogwarts really loves their tests and assignments. I won't even get much of a break during holidays because of my training at home," Elsa said sounding a little resigned.

Marvin seemed to raise an eyebrow at that. "May I ask how far you are in your training?"

Elsa gave a shrug. "I honestly don't know when it will end. I was of course schooled by tutors for most of my life, but well… After an incident I started my Queen lessons. I'm at least finished with accounting. Until the rules and laws change… again…"

"What is this incident? If it is not to intruding of me to ask?" Marvin asked still bowed.

Elsa thought on what to say here. She really didn't want to go into the matter, but she supposed it was a good idea. " _Maybe he'll have ideas on how to help me better control my powers?_ " Elsa thought to herself before telling him the story, or well most of the story.

{-} {-} {-}

Ron was staring intently at the chess board in front of him. Naturally he won the matches, but Neville was surprisingly good at Wizarding chess. In fact, there were a couple of times Ron thought he might have lost a match. Many would think this was something that would hurt his pride or cause him to get super angry and irrationally jealous, but instead he was excited about it. He hoped he could play Neville again many times in the future.

Ron also got a few ideas he could try out in future games with others. He didn't get to be the best at Wizard's Chess without constantly evolving and adapting his play style. Meeting someone else good at Wizard's Chess was always something he looked forward to in life. Well so long as they weren't some stuck up prat like a Chess playing version of Malfoy or something.

Ron couldn't help but laugh at that thought. He thought of Malfoy trying to play chess. "Goyle tell that pawn to move up a couple of spaces. You know that one on the right there," imaginary Draco said to a dumbfounded Goyle who scratched his head trying to figure out what a pawn was.

He then thought about Draco getting fed up with losing the game. "You stupid King you! I told you to win the game! It isn't my fault you're stupid. You just wait! I telling my father." Imaginary Malfoy then ran off crying like a six-year-old that was beat to giving himself invincibility as a super power in a game of Super Wizards which little kids always played. The funniest part of this little image was that the chess set Malfoy used was relieved the nuisance was gone.

Ron finally gave a stretch as he got up and decided to go and join the others outside for a bit. They told him where they would be waiting for him. As he made his way outside, Ron had to admit his life at Hogwarts was pretty good. He didn't have to fight his brothers for food at meals. He had made some friends, not to mention one of them happened to be the Harry Potter.

He found it interesting how his friends Harry, Hermione, and Elsa weren't born or in Harry's case raised as wizards. It was hard for him to really understand that, but he was slowly learning. He was also surprised by having Neville as a friend. Sure Ron wasn't always understanding his friends, but he was trying. He still wondered how it was Hermione thought getting expelled was worse than death.

Still school wasn't always fun and games. There was Malfoy and his goons. There was also Potions class. " _Who bloody thought it was a good idea to have Snape as a teacher anyways?_ " he thought to himself. He hated that class and teacher. Ron was pretty sure him being in Gryffindor was part of the reason for his grade in that class despite what Hermione said about it.

Then there was all of that homework as well. It was terrible! He was pretty sure Homework was designed by teachers like Snape who hated kids and didn't want them to have any free time. Unfortunately, it still had to be done. He also thought it was odd that he was starting to get a little used to it as well.

That was one thing that bugged him about both Hermione and Elsa. They seemed to have no problems doing homework and sometimes even went beyond what was expected just because. He was just glad that Elsa wasn't as bad about that as Hermione. Elsa would maybe add an extra few inches, but Hermione was more likely to add an entire extra foot or two. However, Elsa was also the one that got up really early and even went for a run or jog before classes started. He found that really strange. Why would you disturb your sleeping time like that?

Ron's thoughts drifted a little more towards Elsa. She was a bit of a strange one in general to his eyes. He never thought he would actually be friends with a Ravenclaw. He thought they were all like Percy or worse. Yet Elsa was the one he played Hangman with during slow classes at times. She was also the one to sometimes reign in Hermione, but at other times she would be 100% on board with Hermione about studying. She was also the one to actually get to him about his manners, since Ravenclaw's table was next to Gryffindor's. Elsa also helped him understand certain things about people and life better as well. Hermione tried at times, but quickly got frustrated and gave up. Elsa seemed to know how to explain things better to him and she had patience.

All in all, Ron wasn't sure what to think about all of his friends. He liked them all, but it was weird being around girls besides Ginny. He thought it wasn't possible apart from dating them later or something. He thought all they did was whisper to each other and giggle like Lavender and Parvati. " _Maybe it's because Elsa and Hermione aren't like Lavender and Parvati that makes them alright,_ " Ron thought as he kept walking.

{-} {-} {-}

Ron finally made his way outside and quickly found the others. "Sooo… Is the board alright?" Harry asked causing Hermione to giggle.

Ron rolled his eyes as he said, "I was thinking over the game again is all. It's really important you know. Every game can help you learn something. That's why you need to play more."

"I swear to you Ron, if you would just put half of that concentration towards your school work you would probably be one of the top students," Hermione said as she had many times before.

Ron gave a frown and said, "Some of us don't really care about being the best in every class, Hermione." He just didn't understand why it was she couldn't figure that out.

"I'm not saying that so you will be one of the top. It's just well… Wasted potential is all." Hermione said with a matching frown.

"Chess isn't a waste of time," Ron said getting a little close to a glare. She may be one of his friends, but she really did press his buttons sometimes.

Hermione looked like she was about to continue the argument, but seemed to change her mind and simply sighed and said, "I didn't mean that chess was a waste of time, Ron. I was just saying if you tried to concentrate a little more on classes like you do with chess you would be doing loads better."

Ron was about to say something but thought of what Elsa would have said to him if he did. Instead he decided to change the subject. He was happy with his grades… well mostly. Maybe Hermione was a little right, not that he would say so yet. "So none of you ran into Elsa on the way out here?"

Hermione looked a little hurt that he was changing the subject like that and seemingly pushing what she said to side, but she let the subject drop for now. "No. We didn't."

"I wonder what it was that she had to do?" Neville asked glad for the change of subject. He didn't like it when his friends got like that. It was even worse because most of the time all of them got along fairly well.

"I don't know. We should ask her next time we see her. I mean it was a little odd how she was so vague about what she was doing," Harry said.

"Too right you are," Ron said before stretching and then plopping down on the grass. The friends then enjoyed the rest of their afternoon before heading back up to the castle for dinner.

{-} {-} {-}

Marvin gave Elsa a sorrowful look after hearing what happened to the young princess in her past. "I'm sorry you experienced that, Your Highness." He wasn't sure what else to say really.

"I'm sorry that happened to Anna, because I wasn't good enough with my powers back then," Elsa said.

Marvin gave her a frown. "You're probably the most gifted of your ancestors, Elsa. I can't think of any others who had that level of control and ability at such a young age despite the accident. I can't help but want to know what you are capable of now. You shouldn't fear your powers."

Elsa gave a sigh. "I don't fear my powers. I do fear losing control of them. Which is a bit ironic, considering Grand Pabbie told me fear would be my enemy and all. He keeps telling me this and training me not to fear losing control, but I can only seem to suppress it and not dwell on those fears and nothing else."

"To think you have already started some training with the Rock Trolls. That is impressive. I know they train all of your ancestors to some extent, but usually it seems to happen later in their life, especially not before Hogwarts," Marvin said aloud as he added this to his Elsa 'folders'.

"I'm not really training with them yet. He won't teach me their magic," Elsa said. She then grew determined again as she added, "I will learn what I can and show them I'm ready, so he will."

"Amazing… They are actually thinking about teaching you their magic?" Marvin asked getting a nod in reply. "That is something very rare of them to do."

Elsa then got a bright idea and smiled with a hint of mischievousness. As she was about to speak she was cut off. "Before you even think about asking me, know that I won't be able to help you. The few I met who went through that training were very quiet on the subject. They simply say this."

He gave a cough and then spoke in a feminine voice that sounded like it was a recording. "They have their reasons for not sharing that information easily. I will not say anything else regarding the Rock Troll's magic other than it is worth the trouble getting to learn it."

Marvin gave a sigh, "I know that was probably odd, but it is something I have to do when first asked about Rock Troll magic. I don't know anything else about it."

Elsa gave another sigh and said, "Well it was worth thinking about trying to ask." She then looked to see what time it was and gave a nod. "Marvin. I actually need to get going. It's almost time to eat. Give me the elves names and I will call them when I'm ready to meet them for the first time. Also can you tell me how this passageway works?" Elsa then pointed out the shortcut passage on the map.

"Well I don't know all of the elves names, since the clan has done pretty well for itself. The four main ones are: Meepy, Clover, Sten, and Joe."

"Wait. I have a house elf named Joe? Not Joseph?" Elsa asked.

"Yes, Joe. He went through a rite of passage this clan of elves created back when they were free roaming and they can pick their name afterwards. He picked Joe because he thought it made him sound extra reliable and it would be easy to say," Marvin said.

Elsa hummed in thought. It might be kind of fun if house elves had such personalities at times. She was also interested in this rite of passage. Maybe she could learn about House elf culture. She had never thought much about their culture. One truth about life (at least sentient life) is that culture evolves no matter what, even if it takes time and that is interesting. Elsa was trying to find as much positive about this situation as she could. She still was going to try to help someone find a way to improve what the elves are going through regardless, but after learning more about them she would tread that subject carefully.

"You know it is rather odd how wrong muggles are about elves in the modern sense, now that I think about it," Elsa said thoughtfully.

"What do you mean, Your Highness?" Marvin asked.

"Well muggles have this vision of elves being about human size and extremely beautiful. They also often live in the wooded areas with nature based magic, if any. I suppose older interpretations might be closer to the truth looks wise at least. Or maybe that is what House elves were before whatever changed them happened. You don't suppose wizards were involved in changing the elves? I mean it would in a way make sense given what elves used to be known in ancient times for doing. Bind elves and their magic to humans that way they would stop spreading disease to humans and livestock, even if that is a bit heavy handed," Elsa said in thought.

"Regardless, the point is modern beliefs about elves are so far from the truth that it is surprising," Elsa finished. She then blinked a few times and said, "I actually am what modern muggles consider an elf… Apart from Christmas elves, pointy ears, and I would have to live in the woods to be considered one."

Elsa blushed a little to that thought. She wasn't sure what to make of that little revelation. She wished she had thought of that sooner. She could have been an elven princess when playing games with Anna when they were younger. There was also a part of her that wished Wizards played fantasy games. Then she could be a high elf Princess with her current friends.

"Maybe I should make an ice bow with ice arrows." She said to herself loud enough for Marvin to hear. The M.I. gave a friendly laugh. He really missed being able to talk to the various princesses and other royal family members with the gift. It would usually be lots of fun and interesting interacting with them. The royal family members always seemed to be very friendly with him since he was first created.

That thought got him to ask a question. "I am just curious, my princess. Will you be making use of this room as well in the future?"

Elsa looked to him with a smile as she said, "Of course I will. There is so much here for me to explore that I wish I could literally freeze time for it all. I like the idea of talking to you and learning more about my ancestors and figuring out more about you. There is also the fact that I have to make filling out more of this map a priority. I would do a severe injustice to the Elsanna Exploration Society if I didn't. As one of the founding members, I can't do such an injustice. Anna may never come here, so that means I have to give this room and this project the Anna touch in her stead."

Marvin was happy to hear that and gave the young princess a smile. He then pointed to the secret passage Elsa asked about on the map. "The way to access this passageway is a bit complex at first, but ultimately simple for the Royal family afterwards. You took your blood test at Gringotts right?" Elsa nodded.

"For the first time using it, you need to draw a little blood and place it on the chest of the statue there. After that, whisper into the statue's ear 'It takes more than the gift to rule the nation of Eagle Valley, love is the key'. After that, place your hand on the back of the statue again and say 'kjærlighet'. In the future, all you will have to do is merely place your hand on the wall," Marvin finished.

Elsa gave him a smile, "Thanks, Marvin. That helps out a lot. It took forever to get here the normal way and it would draw too much attention from the Slytherins if I constantly walked near their dorm for no apparent reason."

Marvin gave a chuckle to this. "That's another thing that seems to be common with the Royal family. They aren't usually fans of Slytherin. Even if that was the house they ended up in they weren't big fans. They often would say."

His voice again took on a feminine recording quality, "Those Slytherins are idiots. Cunning and ambitious doesn't mean stuck up, backstabbing, 'Noble' little brat."

He grinned and spoke normally, "Just like that."

Elsa gave a giggle to this. "I will admit I avoided that house because they reminded me too much of overly self-important Nobles. It really is a shame. I mean The Merlin was a Slytherin Himself. He's probably sighing and disappointed in his old house with how they've become since then."

Ambition wasn't naturally a bad thing. If it wasn't for ambition, then progress and advancement would be excessively slow. However, ambition could be a bad thing if it was misguided and could lead to downfalls of entire nations if left unchecked. Elsa was pretty sure part of the reason the wizarding world was so backwards was due to the house of ambition gaining and living up to the reputation of being where dark wizards go at Hogwarts.

" _Perhaps if Draco was vastly different. I might actually like him and try to give Slytherin the reputation it actually deserves and should live up to…_ " Elsa thought to herself. If Draco wasn't a bad person at his core, which in her mind he mostly was, then talk about a power couple. Think of what the Malfoy family with the full backing and approval of the Arendelle Royal family could do for Britain and maybe even the world.

Unfortunately, Draco was all too eager to absorb and thrive in how things currently were. Elsa also had a feeling he didn't know his family's connection to Arendelle either. If he did, maybe she could have worked with that and help him become a decent person and realize his true potential. " _But that isn't the case, sadly…_ " Elsa sighed to herself.

She then gave a stretch and moaned as she gathered her things. She gave Marvin a smile in thanks as she said, "Thank you so very much for all you have told me today, Marvin. I will see you again soon. Try not to get too bored while I'm not here." She gave a laugh to the last bit.

"No worries, Your Highness. I have a lot of new information to sort through. However, feel free to contact me if you need anything," he answered in a surprisingly serious voice.

"I'll do that," Elsa replied as she left the room with a lot to think about for the time being.

* * *

A/N: "Kjærlighet" is google translate Norwegian for "love" in case anyone wanted to know.

I won't make a habit of using non-English words in the story, apart from spells in Latin/almost Latin like the source and are commonly known and maybe some other exceptions. I honestly find it annoying when people write an English story and use non-English words a lot, especially if they don't have a glossary for you to use.

Also, it took me longer to get this chapter out than I wanted it to take. I kind of left the last chapter off with a bit of a cliff hanger, but I did kind of have a hurricane come through, so that's why it took me longer. I spent most of last week preparing and/or worrying about Irma. I ended up getting lucky and wasn't hit too bad here.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: "Kjærlighet" is google translate Norwegian for "love" in case anyone wanted to know. Sorry, I didn't really look up a pronunciation guide.

Chapter 17: Discussions and Plans

Elsa looked at the statue in front of her and blushed a little bit. The statue was that of a beautiful woman somehow in a romantic and ageless dress. Elsa had to admit the woman statue was beautiful and she felt a little awkward about what she was going to do. She wasn't really in to these things, but even she had to admit there was something kind of intimate about what she was about to do, especially given the statue's attire.

Elsa gulped and took in a deep breath before releasing it. She bit her thumb and managed to not flinch at the sudden, but shallow pain. She then took a finger from her other hand and used it to gather blood. She used the blood to draw a small line on the hand she bit before placing it on the statue.

She felt an odd sensation that caused her to blush again as she leaned in close to the statue and whispered, "It takes more than just the gift to rule the Nation of Eagle Valley. Love is the key."

The statue started to glow a soft warm yellow as Elsa for some reason kissed it and said in a soft voice, "Kjærlighet". The statue then turned white as the Crown-Princess felt a tug at her magic. Elsa's whole body was then overcome by a sensation that could only be described as love. She felt as if she was being hugged by both her mom and Anna at the same time after a period of absence. It actually brought a few tears to her eyes as she was overcome by the sensation.

At the same time, the power of the light seemed to surge and Elsa felt as if other passages and secret entrances were unlocked to her. She felt as if the castle itself was greeting an old and dear friend at the end of a long trip and absence. Despite this she could still feel an even greater longing to be with her sister again. Something that puzzled the princess was after this thought there was a pause in the sensations followed by a comforting and reassuring light.

Before Elsa knew it, she was at the other end of the shortcut. She gave a sniff and walked down the hall. It was close enough to dinner time and she decided to go straight to the main hall. She didn't pay attention to the slowly dripping blood or the dull throb of her thumb. There were only a few things on her mind. One of them was eating and the other was Anna as she made the short trip to the great hall.

{-} {-} {-}

Harry gave a sigh as he walked to the great hall. He knew he was early, but Ron seemed to be thinking about something seriously that he kept to himself presently. Harry was really hungry today and his stomach gave a loud growl. Both Neville and Ron laughed at it and said, "Go on without us, Harry. Save us our seats."

Even though he knew there was no way he could get food any earlier, he made his way to the Great Hall. This seemed to ease his stomach a little, but not much. " _Why the hell does my stomach get this way here…_ " he thought. He spent most of his life hardly eating anything, but here at Hogwarts he seemed to be making up for lost time. " _At least I manage to mind my manners better than Ron._ "

Harry didn't really mind Ron's eagerness as much as the others did. He figured it was probably because he understood in a way why Ron ate like that. The food was that good and there was so much of it. It was far better than anything the Dursleys ever fed him. There usually wasn't much left when he was finally allowed to eat.

Harry frowned at the thought of that name. The way he was treated never really bothered him that much before, but after coming to Hogwarts and meeting people that were at least civil and many others who were friendly. Harry wasn't so eager to just accept what the Dursleys did to him. " _Even bloody Malfoy treats me better than they did,_ " he thought glumly. He and Draco did argue and fight a lot, but Draco could at times be bearable when the Slytherin wasn't hellbent on fighting.

He then sighed and shook his head. It wasn't time to dwell on that. It was better to think about the food he still had to wait to eat than his 'family' and Draco.

Harry's stomach growled once more. The dark haired boy gave a dark mental chuckle to his thoughts. " _I can't believe I find hunger more comforting than the Dursleys… Actually, that makes complete sense,_ " he thought as he reminded himself to ask Professor McGonagall or Professor Dumbledore about staying at Hogwarts over the summer once the next term ended.

He might have continued his thoughts on the subject, but as he rounded a corner heading towards the Great Hall he heard the sounds of a girl sniffing. His green eyes opened wide as he saw who it was.

"Elsa?!" he asked in shock. "What's wrong?" He couldn't really think of a time he had seen her like this before.

Elsa gasped and cursed herself for not regaining her composure sooner. "Ha-ha-harry?" she finally managed to get out.

Harry walked closer and could only nod to her. Elsa seemed to wipe away a tear. "I'm sorry about that. I was just thinking about A-a-anna…" she said in a shaky voice.

Harry's green eyes softened after hearing what she said. "You miss her greatly. Don't you?"

Elsa nodded and without thinking came over and hugged Harry in her fit. Harry was surprised at her actions, but returned the gesture. He was perplexed at the emotions he was feeling at this moment. He enjoyed the hug like he always did with Elsa's hugs, but he felt sad given her state as if he wasn't supposed to enjoy the hug or something.

Elsa cried a little more as she shakily said, "I'm sorry… I just really miss her… I know Christmas Holidays are coming soon, but I wish I could be with her right now." She sobbed some more as Harry just held the hug and patted her on the back a little. This surprisingly seemed to ease her a little bit.

"I can understand why you would miss her Elsa," he said hoping to help her with whatever it was that was getting to her.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I'm being a little selfish right now… I should just be glad to have family, but I still want more than just that," Elsa said to him lowly. She then just enjoyed the hug more and said nothing else.

Again, Harry got this odd sensation in his heart. He had expected her to go into some tirade about how she was sorry for bringing up family to him given his history and all of that. That was something that Hermione had done a time or two and others in the school as well when talking about their families. Elsa however, proved to be an exception to the norm like she did many things and didn't go that way with it. She admitted she was being selfish and wasn't really too apologetic about it before leaving it at that.

"It's okay…" he said to her. He wasn't sure if that would make a difference, but it seemed to with Elsa. She was a little more at ease, but still in a fit.

As they held their hug, Harry started to feel a slight cold sensation where her right thumb was resting. He looked at it and his eyes widened. "Elsa! Your thumb! What happened?" he asked a little frantic.

Elsa seemed to snap a little out of her mood as she blushed and closed her hand tightly before giving a nervous giggle. "Sorry about that, Harry. I just cut myself a little earlier. It will be okay soon enough."

Harry didn't look fully convinced with that response. Elsa gave a sigh and decided to change the subject, "I'm sorry about that earlier display. I think I just need to write to Anna again. We write often, but given everything that we've been through I guess I'm not really handling the lack of Anna in my life all that well. Even if I don't always show it."

Elsa then looked a little embarrassed as she asked, "I didn't cause you too much trouble with that display, did I?"

Harry felt he needed to play it a little cool here and said, "Nah… I was just a little shocked is all. I came down a little early because I was hungry." He then said, "It was good to see you again today at least. It's too bad you didn't join us outside earlier. It was a really nice day today."

Elsa gave a smile and said, "I see. Well apart from certain things, I actually had a wonderful time today. If you all want, I can tell everyone about it after dinner before we head to our dorms for the night."

Harry gave a genuine smile to that. "I think we'd like that. I'll tell the others at dinner."

Elsa then gave a blush as she asked, "Do you think you can leave the whole me crying thing out of it? I… kind of want that to be something only we know about… If you don't mind."

"I can do that," Harry answered to said girl's relief.

"So… What did you all do this afternoon?" Elsa asked.

"Neville actually challenged Ron to a couple of chess matches." Harry gave a laugh. "Ron won obviously. But it seems Neville did really well. Ron spent a good while staring at the board afterwards…" Harry continued to tell her the full story. Elsa seemed to really enjoy it, even if it was rather normal.

"Ahhh! There you are, Elsa!" Hermione said as the others came close to the Grand Hall. "What did you do this afternoon?"

Elsa smiled and said, "Well I promised Harry I would go into detail after dinner. If you all don't mind, that is." Harry was a bit impressed with how strong and confident Elsa sounded despite her earlier emotions that still remained there as they talked about different things together alone.

"That sounds good to me," Ron said with a grin. He was ready and eager for dinner. Dinner was always a feast at Hogwarts, and he liked that a lot.

{-} {-} {-}

Once dinner was over, Elsa waited outside the hall for the others. It didn't take too long at least. She felt a little awkward waiting for the others. It was stupid of her to be this way, but she guessed it had to do with the fact she was still used to being the one waited on for the most part and even when she waited for Anna or her parents she wasn't getting looks from others passing her by.

"Sorry about that, Elsa. Someone wanted extra desert," Harry said giving Ron a bit of a frown.

Ron just frowned in return. He didn't get what the deal was tonight. It wasn't like he never got seconds on desert before. Heck the whole meal Harry seemed to be a little angry at him for wanting to eat so much. That was something that only Hermione usually cared about.

Elsa gave a smile and said, "No worries." She didn't think anyone would notice her relief that they were finally here and she wouldn't have to wait any longer. Harry however was paying more attention to her. Having just seen Elsa the way she was earlier made him wonder if maybe he and the others had missed a lot of her actual feelings and thoughts before now.

"Well let's go then," Neville said leading them away from the Great Hall. The others followed, since it seemed like he had an idea about where they could go to talk undisturbed. It was a bit more difficult since they weren't in the same house and it was after dinner. The library was out of the question because Hermione would get distracted wanting to read more books on magic or study no matter what.

Harry was observing Elsa a little as they walked. He was trying to figure out what was on her mind. It seemed to him she was thinking about what to say or maybe not say. She was paying attention to where they were going, but her mind seemed to be a little bit elsewhere. It was hard to tell though and maybe he was trying to see things not there.

Neville led them for a little bit and paused when they heard a couple of known chuckles coming from in front of them. He looked around and saw an empty classroom nearby. "Might be a good idea to avoid the Troublemaking Duo. Will this work?" He pointed to the room.

"If you don't mind a lack of comfort that will work," Elsa said. They agreed to it and took seats in the desks.

"So, what did you do this afternoon, Elsa?" Hermione asked.

Elsa gave a smile as she said, "I went exploring around the castle."

"How come you didn't ask us to come along?" Ron asked with a frown.

"Well you sounded like you really wanted to play chess and the rest of you all wanted to just hang around outside for the afternoon. Plus, I wasn't sure if I would find anything interesting," Elsa said.

"Where all did you go?" Neville asked.

"That was also part of the reason I didn't really invite you all. I went towards the Slytherins' Dungeon," Elsa replied as Ron gave a look wondering why she would want to go there.

"I figured you guys wouldn't want to go there. Also if I ran into any Slytherins on the way, which I did, there would have been a fight if you were all with me," Elsa said with a sigh.

"What happened when you ran into them? Who was it?" Harry asked. He was starting to think that might have been the reason she was in the state she was earlier. If it was then the snakes lost even more of their very little respect in his books.

Elsa gave a bit of a giggle here. "I actually ran into Malfoy and his two stooges. It was kind of funny in the end. They questioned why I was there. I told them I was exploring and asked them why did it matter to them. While Malfoy was thinking that over, I just maneuvered around Crabbe and Goyle. They just watched stupidly and I continued on my way," Elsa said. Ron laughed out loud at that and the others laughed as well. They were all envisioning a Draco with a stupid face trying to figure out why he cared, because he was probably never really questioned by others.

"I actually went deeper into the castle. I had no idea how deep the castle went past the Slytherins dorm. I mean there was plenty from here to there alone. I had kind of counted for that, though. You all probably would have been mostly bored because I mostly just found older empty classrooms and such," Elsa gave a bit of a smirk before continuing. "I did find something interesting though after a while."

"What did you find?" Neville asked.

"I actually found a talking door! An actual door and not a painting," Elsa said with a smile.

"Really? A talking door?" Hermione asked just as excited by this as Elsa was. Harry seemed just as fascinated as the girls, but Neville and Ron, while interested and curious, weren't as excited.

"Yes, it was!" Elsa said.

"What was inside?" Harry asked.

Elsa hoped her small little omission of the full truth would work and they wouldn't get too curious. "There wasn't too much inside it that was different compared to the others, but the room definitely had a very different feel to it. Almost as if the room was flowing with magic. I know it probably doesn't mean much to you guys, but it did to me."

"Actually…" Neville started, "That is interesting. It sounds like you have to say the right phrase or something for the room to work. You probably activated its protections."

Ron seemed to be thinking on it as well before answering, "It could be anything really. Maybe you have to enter it on the first Tuesday after the second Wednesday at 3 in the morning or something."

"I wonder what would be in there… Maybe lost knowledge! Ooooo maybe ancient lost tomes! It could even be a collection of ultra-rare books!" Hermione chimed in with a smile.

"Aren't those all the same thing pretty much?" Harry asked, but Hermione was still lost in her daydream of studying ancient magic in super secret magical room with talking doors.

Elsa's plan wasn't really working. She wanted to seem like she had a cool adventure and that was it. Now it seemed like they might try and go to find the place. She didn't really want that.

"Again it could be anything in there. It could just be some crazed old lady's cat picture collection or maybe a room for some self-important Slytherin's Diary," Ron said seemingly coming to her rescue even if it was unintentional. The others seemed to come back to reality.

Elsa wondered if maybe it was Hogwarts' protection acting through Ron or if that was all his own thoughts. She still felt a little relieved regardless. She would probably tell them everything eventually if things went well with them as friends, but she wasn't ready yet. "Plus, I did barely make it back to the Great Hall in time for dinner. It wasn't easy to get there and I had to go past the Slytherin dorm. I may have lucked out this time, but I would rather not test my luck that much," she said hoping to further discourage them from asking her to show it to them.

Hermione gave a sigh and added, "Well I guess I can see that. I mean it is seldom that things live up to your expectations. It could be some odd wizard's sock collection for all we know." They had other things to look into as well. They still hadn't figured out what that dog was guarding or who exactly Nicolas Flamel was.

That reminded Hermione of their current situation. "Besides. We still have to figure out who Nicolas Flamel is. I was wondering if we should talk about what to do for the upcoming holidays."

Elsa's eyes widened and her heart actually skipped a beat. She had momentarily forgotten about that. She felt much better than she was earlier and she knew what to write in her letter to Anna. She couldn't help but show her happiness as she said, "I won't be able to do anything about that. I'm going home."

"Same here for me," Hermione added. It was still a few weeks away, but she was feeling a bit excited herself. Sure it was a nice day outside today, but it was a very rare nice November day. That was part of the reason they wanted to go outside so much earlier.

Neville gave a bit of a frown as he said, "I can try to look through some of my family's books or something possibly over the holidays, but my Gran wants me to start what she calls the 'Old Longbottom' training… whatever that means."

Neville had a feeling, but really hoped that wasn't the case at all. He was too young for that stuff. He wasn't like Malfoy. He wasn't eager to take up his lordship training so he could brag about it to others. He was also pretty sure the only reason his Gran was considering it was because he had sort of shown he wasn't so helpless after all with his grades so far.

Harry gave a sad sigh as he said, "I'll look into it here over the break. Maybe I'll figure out a way to get into the restricted section to look there or something." He wasn't sad that he was staying for the holidays. He was only sad that he would be staying alone. The others had family's worth visiting and writing to and all of that. He wasn't upset with them for wanting to visit their families. If his family was anyone other than the Dursleys, he would probably be happy to return for the holidays. It made sense to visit your family and all of that, which is why he was surprised when he felt a clasp on his shoulder and looked over to see a grinning Ron next to him.

"Don't worry, mate. We'll figure something out while they're all away," Ron said as his grin grew.

"What do you mean?" Elsa asked a little shocked like the others were at Ron's declaration.

"Well… I felt bad when Harry was going on about staying here for the holidays alone earlier in the year. I can understand you all wanting to go back home and think you should to be with your families, but I won't be this year. I talked to my parents about it in a letter. When I got their reply later my mom told me her and dad talked it over and decided to visit Charlie for the Holidays with Ginny."

He gave a grin and said, "Turns out the twins might have watched as I wrote the letter and said they wanted to stay as well. Something about keeping an eye on Gryffindor's secret but not really secret Quidditch weapon. I think they just want to have the run of the castle to setup 'welcome back' surprises for some students. Percy then decided he couldn't very well leave the twins alone and so he is staying to make sure they don't cause too much trouble. Though he'll probably spend most of the time polishing his Prefect badge or in the library studying. So yeah most of my family's here anyways."

Harry couldn't help but feel happy about this. He'd get to spend Christmas with one of his best mates. It was already going to be the best holiday break he'd ever had before, but now it was even beyond that.

"Won't you miss the rest though?" Hermione asked out of curiosity.

"Well… I suppose I'll miss my mom's cooking," Ron replied as he took on a dreamy looking face. Hermione might have scowled at him, but her social barometer and best female friend Elsa, started to laugh and Ron chuckled as well. "Yeah I suppose I will, but hey… I'll get to be here, and again like I said most of my family's here too and we can't leave Harry to be the only one looking into Flamel. My parents and Ginny will love getting to see Charlie. He's usually too busy in Romania with dragons to visit all that often."

Hermione rolled her eyes, but gave a small smile. She doubted they would get much looking for Flamel done, but it was the Holidays and so long as they didn't completely forget to look him up, she would be fine with their having fun. Harry shouldn't have to be alone for the holidays anyways. She hadn't even thought about that too much. She was too caught up in everything else and missing her parents.

"Well that's good to hear. If what I fear my gran has planned for me turns out to be true, I'll probably envy you two getting to hang out together here during the holidays," Neville said with a bit of a dry laugh.

"What do you think it will be?" Elsa asked wondering.

Neville gave a sigh before answering, "I think she's going to start my lordship training."

Elsa placed a hand on his shoulder in comfort and said quietly, "I'm sure you'll survive. You better at least." Ron tried to hide a snicker as Hermione looked at Neville in question. Harry meanwhile looked at Elsa. He remembered talking to her during one of his study breaks and she went on about extra lessons and such. Maybe she wasn't only rich, but possibly from a very important family as well?

Hermione seemed to stop her thoughts about what Neville would be going through as she said, "We should probably get back to our dorms now. It's probably getting late." Harry looked to his watch and it was getting a little late. He didn't really want to test curfew too much tonight. After Filch was done with him, he would then have Oliver to worry about. He really didn't like that idea.

"You're right, Hermione. Besides I kind of have plans with the girls tonight." Elsa gave a chuckle as she added, "Even though it is a boarding school and this is our 'home away from home' Friday nights are always more like a sleep over for us."

As Ron led the way to the door quickly, he rolled his eyes and said, "Please what could possibly be exciting about a bunch of Ravenclaws having a sleepover. You all will probably have some kind of speed reading contest or something."

"Is that so? Wouldn't you like to know what girls get up to together unsupervised," Elsa asked in a teasing voice.

Ron wanted to ask for details, but didn't want them to know he was curious so instead his ears turned a little red and he sped up a little bit leaving behind a giggling Elsa and Hermione. Neville even gave a chuckle, but managed to keep up as Hermione followed.

Elsa would have left right after Hermione, but she felt a tug on her sleeve. She turned around and her cheeks pinked a little as she looked into those piercing green eyes, Harry's eyes. He then asked quietly, "Did you really not have any trouble with Draco?"

Elsa regained her composure and smiled as she answered, "No, I didn't. That encounter went exactly how I said it did."

"But your thumb and well you know..." Harry pressed.

"It is as I said. I just cut it on something while exploring the lower halls. Some rooms weren't nearly as well taken care of as the rest of the castle up here is…." She then looked to the side with a frown as she continued, "When I was exploring, I started to miss Anna really badly."

She gave a sigh as they followed the others at a distance. "My family's home is very old with vast grounds. My sister and I pretty much had each other as best friends our whole lives. One of the things we did the most was explore our family's land and home. We even called ourselves the Elsanna Exploration Society. She came up with that name by the way not me. I couldn't help but think how much better it would have been if I could explore this place with her."

"That caused you to really miss her then?" Harry asked knowing the answer, but still getting a nod from Elsa. "I wish you hadn't gone off alone like that. What if you got hurt a lot worse or something?"

Elsa blushed a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I was really careful and had first aid supplies with me. I just didn't think I needed to use them. I will admit it wasn't one of my finer moments. I partly didn't invite you all because I felt left out that night you all went and had that grand adventure without me earlier in the year. I guess I thought I should get to have my own adventure to catch up and my dorm mates don't really seem the type that would be patient while exploring. I like spending time in the old rooms even if they are empty. It's a little hard to explain why." She knew why, but feeling the flows seemed like something they wouldn't really understand, or they might think she was some kind of big time tree hugger. She was sure it wouldn't be good.

Harry frowned to that. He and the others thought she was okay with that after she had talked to them about it. Maybe he really did need to learn how to read Elsa better and what to look for. He would definitely say she was good at keeping her emotions in check or hidden. "I'm sorry about that. We just didn't want you getting into trouble with us and didn't really think about it. We didn't expect to come across that thing."

Elsa shook her head to him. "It's okay. You all apologized already. I was just being childish… Besides…" She gave him a smile. "At least, I get to help out with the Nicolas Flamel search."

It wasn't long after that they went their separate ways for the night and giving each other a "Goodnight."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Elves and teaching Potions

Elsa was still wondering why it was everyone was so obsessed with Truth or Dare. She would admit that she gave a version of the truth, but it wasn't the whole truth when she was asked questions. She would also admit she kind of liked Truth or Dare and the atmosphere she and her roommates shared while playing it. There were however some dares she really didn't get. " _What is the point of licking a candle stick? It isn't really that big of a deal in the end._ " She was pretty sure the House Elves probably even kept them clean as well.

That reminded her of something she had to do actually. Elsa got up and ready for the day. She figured the best place to call her House Elves would be in one of the old empty classrooms she found while exploring the castle. She wasn't sure if they would be able to enter the archive right away or if she would have to first meet them. To be safe, she decided it best to first meet them somewhere else.

{-} {-} {-}

Elsa was glad for the secret passage she unlocked the previous night, even if it was embarrassing to do so in the first place. It made getting to the lower parts of the castle much easier. She decided to further study the map for other passageways in Hogwarts and see where they would go. She wondered if she could get them color coded. For instance, have the ones more commonly known marked in red or the ones she could only open because of her connection marked in blue. Then the ones that were less well known, but were okay for use with others marked in green. It probably would also be a good idea to mark ones that were no longer usable in a color that stood out. It was something to look into later.

The princess opened a door and entered one of the rooms near The Archive. Elsa looked around and thought to herself, " _I really hope the elves don't go crazy seeing this place_." It wasn't the cleanest of rooms, but it was passable for Hogwarts. She found a chair and used a light mist and breeze to clean it enough for her to sit on and then did the same for four more chairs. "I hope my quick clean up job meets house elf standards," she sighed as she got herself ready for this meeting. She partly feared the house elves would see the room and decide it wasn't suitable for a princess at all and refuse to talk until after it was to their liking. That situation would be rather humorous in a way, but inconvenient considering she didn't want to wait around the whole time.

For this meeting, she wanted to introduce herself as the Crown Princess and Heir to the Arendelle Throne. At the same time, she did want to be friendly towards them but not too friendly. She would ultimately treat them like all of her family's staff, but without the familiarity for now. Once she learned more about them, that might change since the crown has always seen the staff as family of sorts, even if distant family.

Elsa straightened out her dress and sat down with her natural grace and good posture. She was always told by her instructors she carried herself everyday with the pose of her Royal blood so that was something she really didn't need too much training in. That was probably part of the reason Draco even dared to consider maybe she was a dignitary's daughter for a few seconds when they first met on the train. It was probably also why she seemed to have earned the nickname the Ravenclaw Princess.

She took in a deep breath and focused on house elves as she called, "Meepy, Clover, Sten, and… Joe." She expected maybe that wouldn't be enough, but after a few seconds there were four pops as four house elves blinked around in surprise and took the room in with their large eyes.

"Whose called for us? Show yourself to Sten and others," an older elf, who she guessed was Sten, said.

Elsa looked them over and figured maybe their eyes hadn't adjusted to the rather dark room yet. It was odd because they had such large eyes which usually were made to take in as much light as possible. Elsa sat up straighter as she held out a hand and made her glowing ice orb. "It is I, Crown Princess Elsa of Arendelle. Descendant of Queen Talia. I was informed that the ancient pact made was still in effect. I am here to see to this."

All four elves gasped and their large eyes widened as they quickly bowed to her. "We is sorrys, Princess… Wes not knowing yous would calls for us," spoke the one she thought was Sten.

"Do you wish for us to punishes ourselves?" one of the females asked, even if it wasn't easy to tell elf females and males apart right off the bat.

"I do not. There is nothing wrong with being cautious. It shows that you're careful. All servants of the Royal Family need to be this way to help protect our secrets," Elsa said to them.

She hoped this would ease them and they would realize she wasn't going to be **that** kind of a master to them. Elsa smiled as they relaxed a little but stood up straight at attention. She was impressed with their posture. She guessed the tribe taught them really well and that maybe they took a certain level of pride in being House Elves to her family.

"How mays we serve, Princess?" the other male elf, probably Joe, asked.

"I wished to get to know you all. I was informed you four would be able to tell me about the others and your tribe," she said. "Maybe I should fix the lighting in here first."

She then turned, swirled her hands together before throwing magic into the roof above them after deciding the bright orb might be too bright and harsh. It was a trick from when she was little, but it was useful. She could change the color and intensity of the light now so it would be brighter and less 'cold' feeling than when she first made those stars on the ceiling years ago on that night.

The elves seemed to be mystified by her display. "Yous really is amazing, Princess," the youngest of the elves said, also female, as the light filled the room evenly.

Elsa actually blushed a little at the praise. She was used to it, but something about these elves made her feel a little warmer when they said it. "Thanks for the compliment," she replied. The elf seemed to glow with happiness at her praise.

The crown princess looked them over for a bit as they studied what she had done with the ceiling. She was actually happy to see that they still had their bright hair colors Marvin mentioned the elves had when he told her about Queen Talia. She also could have sworn they seemed to look a little younger and fresher than what she heard most elves usually looked, but she could tell they weren't exactly young elves.

"Would you four like to have a seat? I want to get to know you and I have plenty of questions to ask. I hope I didn't interfere with any important work you were doing. If so, is there someone who could fill in momentarily for you while we talk?" Elsa asked.

The elves big eyes looked around before they found the seats. They weren't sure if they could sit down though. It wasn't common that wizards and witches wanted to talk to them like this. Joe decided it was his job, being the dependable elf he was, to sit down first as their Princess asked. The other three soon followed him. He spoke up first, "Wes shall assist Princess as best wes can." The other elves nodded in agreement with him.

"Good. Now tell me your names starting from my left," Elsa said as she pointed to the first elf.

It was the seemingly youngest of the gathered elves. The elf pinked a little as she said, "My names is being Meepy, Princess ma'am." Meepy had very blonde almost yellow hair with big green elf eyes.

Next to her was the male she thought was named Joe. "I am being Joe, Princess. Joe the Dependable!" he said with pride. Joe was a male elf of average elf height with blue black hair styled neatly and brown eyes.

"Sten is being this elf's name," the other male said. Sten had vivid auburn hair cut short. He was a little taller than Joe and had blue eyes.

"I ams Clover, Princess Elsa." The fourth elf said. She had green hair with a few blue streaks in it. She also had purple colored eyes. Elsa found Clover's coloring very interesting.

Elsa then asked, "Out of curiosity, are there plenty of elves with such colorful hair and eyes?"

Clover answered, "Most house elves do. Most elves alsos change looks to be less noticeable and stays that way all the time. Our magic lets us do this when we is young."

Elsa nodded to this. She could see the reasoning behind it. It was a little sad the elves usually felt they had to do this all the time. She could agree that if they were so colorful it could be distracting when they were around, but during their off time they shouldn't have to keep it that way.

Clover continued, "Us Royal family elves don't do such things! We is proud of our looks. If we needs to be less noticeable we finds other ways. Wes had colors when Great Queen Talia founds us and bonded with us." The other elves nodded to her words.

Elsa was happy to hear this but had to know, "What about when you age?"

Sten smiled as he answered, "Wes happy to age naturally, Princess. It shows elves have lived long serving Royal Family or Hogwarts in absences. Wes also age as did the Greatest and Dependable Flinny! Hes founds us bestest Family and saved us!" The others seemed to briefly hold reverent looks in their eyes as they seemed to gaze into the distance before focusing to her again.

Elsa kept in mind that it seemed the elves had titles. "Do you have a hierarchy? Ummmm… like a chain of command or something."

"Wes knows what Higherarchy is, Princess. Wes make sures to learn better than most elves. Wes have slackeded with speechs. Wes will corrects that soons. We have to be best elves since we are with the best family!" Meepy said as she bounced happily on her seat.

She then cleared her throat and spoke again, "Greatest and Dependable is highest elves. Fews get to be Greatest and Dependable. Belows that is Great and Depenedable. Next are Greatest House Elves, they is our leaders apart from Mistress or Master usually. Sten is a Greatest House Elf." Sten nodded to that.

Sten then took over, "Afters that it is Dependable elves. Joe is a Dependable. After that are the Honorable Elves followed by the rest of elves. Meepy and Clover are Honorable Elves. Theys have to take ceremony to becomes Dependables. Wes all treat each others equally, but with so many elves wes need chains of commands."

Elsa was in thought before asking, "How many elves are in your clan who serve the Royal Family?"

Joe answered this. "There is lots of elves plenty over 200 at least. Wes have magic places we keeps good shape for Royal Family. Used to bes homes were very busys all the times. All Royal Family knew of elves, but then theres was the International Screcy thingy. We keeps homes nice and cleans for Royal Family still."

"I am guessing they are kept presently because there are many secrets they guard for the Royal Family. Is that correct?" Elsa asked. She didn't fully understand why they would keep all of those places if they weren't being used otherwise.

The elves seemed to shift a little uncomfortably before it was Meepy who spoke, "Nots too many secrets. If homes sold then elves has to be as wells or wes get crowded. If not with new family wes be freed agains."

Meepy looked a little sad as she said, "Wes not wants to be free elves agains. It is terrible. Wes… can'ts…"

"I know, Meepy. You don't have to continue. I am sorry for having brought it up so causally," Elsa was a little disappointed in herself. These elves seemed to have kept their past alive and fully remembered over the many, many years. She should have realized this meant they would have been told what it was like before joining the Royal Family. She should have made it more clear that she just wanted to know and not that it was a waste to keep these other places around that had become homes for the elves as well.

Meepy seemed relieved by Elsa's words. Elsa was happy about this and continued, "What can you tell me about the different elves of your clan located in Hogwarts?"

Sten spoke, "There are currently 15 elves located heres. Wes usually switch them out every so often. Wes also don't have to go throughs the headmaster regarding this. Princess Klara was Headmistress and took cares of that. Wes would likes to switches them outs so all elves can meets new Crown Princess. If you wants we can even gets mores in every year you are heres."

Elsa frowned in thought at that. "That's a lot of elves. However, it is good to know more can come if needed for some reason. I would like to keep it to 15 for now. I would also like their names every switch. I would be a terrible Crown Princess if I didn't get to know my House elves' names. How would I call the elves outside of Hogwarts if I need them?"

"Just thinks of an elf from one of the places. The highest ranking one there will appear the first time. Theys can then helps you until you learns names," Sten answered.

"That sounds good. Thanks for telling me that." Sten seemed to brighten at her words of gratitude. "I do plan to later get names for the other elves once I visit these places. How would I learn what places the Royal family owns if they were kept secret? I would like to get started this holiday most likely by visiting a place or two," Elsa asked.

Joe answered this time, "Theres should be a book keepings in the special room. Wes can't go in there unless calleds there by Princess though."

"Thank you, Joe. I'll make time to look into it more thoroughly," Elsa said as Joe the Dependable smiled. "Now then. Tell me more about yourselves."

The elves blinked at this a little before they started to talk happily about themselves. They had heard it was common for the Royal Family to ask about such things in the past. They were even told what it meant and how this was different from other families, but also proof of how great their family was. Experiencing it first-hand, was something different and new for them.

{-} {-} {-}

Elsa spent most of her Saturday morning talking to the elves. She then spent some time with her Ravenclaw friends after lunch before going to her desk in the dorm room and thinking over her plan for helping Neville with potions. She was preparing for the worst, but hoping she wouldn't have to teach the whole class over again. She could do that, but it would be extra annoying and it would show just how terrible of a teacher Professor Snape was to at least the Gryffindor students.

Elsa let out a sigh as she stretched and placed her planner down on the desk. She was just glad her dorm mates were used to her having it along with her using pen and lined paper by now. Morag and Lisa were really amazed by this and Mandy was disappointed she didn't think to bring her own pens and paper. Mandy knew she couldn't use it in class most likely, but she could use it for personal notes at least. Padma looked over the items curiously the first time, but managed to keep her calm about it.

"What are you doing?" Morag asked as she happened to look over at the princess from her bed. Elsa was used to it. She might have been offended at first because of personal space and prying into other's business wasn't nice, but she got used to it. It also helped that if you politely told Morag it was personal she left it good and alone.

Elsa gave another sigh. "I promised to help Neville with potions. We were talking about it and I found out that Professor Snape is extra horrible towards Harry and Neville. Not just in his usual hatred of Gryffindor way either from what I heard. I'm hoping it isn't as bad as it sounds, but you know what they say. Plan for the worst and hope for the best, but don't count on it."

"Not sure I've heard that one much before really," Morag answered.

"Really?" Elsa asked. She figured it was something that everyone would come up with in some fashion.

"Nope. Can't say I have. It's a very good saying though. You don't mind if I adopt it meself do you?" Morag asked with a smile.

Elsa gave a chuckle as she replied, "If you don't mind using a muggle saying."

Morag rolled her eyes at the tease. "I ain't some small minded Slytherin. My family may have given up the muggle lifestyle, but they don't hate it. They even think the smartest of wizarding families old or new end up in either Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff."

"Ohhh? So I'm not the only one who thinks Hufflepuff should be seen as the house of potential instead of for 'the stupid'?" Elsa asked as she stretched back and titled her head to look at Morag.

Morag gave her a smirk as she said, "Nope we just don't go around blabbing about it. Hufflepuffs don't usually care much what the other houses think of them. And we don't want to let the Slytherins or Gryffindors know this. It's too much fun to watch their expressions when they lose to a Puff in anything."

Elsa chuckled louder to this. "I'll admit that would be funny. Then again just seeing almost anyone get the better of some of those Slytherins is fun. When I was looking around the castle yesterday afternoon, I went past the Slytherin Dungeon area and Draco stopped me. He asked what I was doing there and I asked him 'What does it matter to you?'. He was actually confused for a bit and I easily slipped past his eternally dumbfounded grunts."

Morag laughed out loud to that. "Aye, that they are. I don't think there's a better description for those two." The two shared a laugh before Morag asked, "So did ya find anything?"

"Just some really old rooms. I'm fine with that though. I had fun. Plus, you can't expect to always find something amazing while exploring every time. It takes a lot of patience," Elsa answered.

"If that's your thing. Then that's your thing. I don't think I would like to go poking around in a bunch of old dusty classrooms personally. I'll just have to hope you share anything really amazing with us," Morag said as she turned over in her bed and got up. "Think I'll go and check out the common room. Try not to spend too much time on these lesson plans. We'd hate for that pretty head of yours to be consumed by potions. It's hard enough having to basically teach ourselves the class at times let alone others as well."

The Auburn haired girl left as Elsa said, "See you later." Elsa looked around the room and noticed no one else was there. She stood up and called, "Meepy".

The young House elf appeared with a small pop and bowed, "How may Meepy Serves you, Mistress?"

"Would you fetch me some Honey Mint Tea," Elsa said. Meepy gave a big smile and soon disappeared only to reappear a few minutes later with a small tea pot and a cup with saucer, which she placed on the desk. Elsa took a sip and gave a pleased smile as she said, "Thank you, Meepy. This is really well brewed. That is all for now." The elf blushed at the thanks and bowed one last time before disappearing again.

Elsa savored a few sips of the tea and sat down to once again get working on a lesson that treated Neville as if he had never really heard of potions before. She also made notes in her planner on how to possibly change it up depending on how well Neville did and not to make him feel worse about himself.

By the time dinner rolled around, Elsa had made a pretty decent first study session guide. She hoped it would work out for the best. She kind of had a feeling like Hermione did that Neville's biggest issue was his confidence. The big eared boy was doing fairly well in his other classes even with his clumsiness. She wasn't sure why his wand sometimes didn't work properly though. Maybe she or one of the others could ask him about that. She wasn't sure if it was considered rude to ask a witch or wizard about their wand or not.

After dinner, Elsa returned to the Archive and looked up a place they could use for their Potions' lessons. She asked Marvin about some of the rooms on the displayed map and even had Sten place up some protections around the room she chose so she and all of the elves wouldn't be bothered while they cleaned it out and set it up.

{-} {-} {-}

Elsa was again waiting in the entrance hall. She really hoped she wouldn't have to wait long. If she did have to wait long, it would be embarrassing again and she would have to tell Neville he needed to be on time if not earlier in the future for their lessons. She supposed after this meeting they could just arrange to meet in the empty classroom they used in the future though.

Neville came over quickly and was actually breathing a little heavy. "Sorry… I didn't make you wait long, did I? Dean and Seamus wouldn't let me leave easily."

Elsa gave a small smile as she said, "Don't worry about. It wasn't too long. After today, we'll just make arrangements to meet in the classroom instead."

Neville gave the back of his head a little scratch before asking, "Are you sure we can find a classroom that won't be well ummm… You know… occupied?" He blushed to his question.

Elsa blinked and fought back a blush as she replied, "Yes, we will find a place that others won't be using. I actually found a place last night we can use. It will be fine. It's in a part of the castle that few if any would visit."

Neville nodded to this as she led the way.

It wasn't long until they arrived and Neville was shocked to see the place already cleaned and partly setup for them. "Wow. You really did find a good place. I guess you were busy getting it ready yesterday as well?" he asked. She nodded in reply.

The room was smaller than others, but there was plenty of room for them to setup equipment and it had windows for venting out fumes if needed. It could easily work very well for a small group working on potions together. Elsa also kept the protections the elves placed while they were cleaning. She didn't want to have to find a different place every time they met.

Neville looked around some more and he actually found he liked this room's setup better than the dungeon Snape used. "Why is this place so much nicer than the classroom?" he asked.

"I set it up more like a muggle Chemistry Lab Classroom instead of a Potions' Classroom," she answered. Elsa then hummed in thought as she said, "Oddly enough the room seemed to really work out that way. It even had cleaning stations and such, even if they weren't up to date."

"That is odd. Maybe this place used to be a Potions' Classroom in the past or something. I've always thought Hogwarts had to have been a lot more populated in the past. Otherwise the size of the school didn't make sense," Neville said in thought out loud.

"Huh… That actually makes sense and would explain why there are so many empty classrooms. I figured a professor used a classroom until they were bored with it and then they just made a new one or maybe moved because of magical accidents that made the room unusable," Elsa said.

Neville gave a nod as he looked over the ingredient storage Elsa made for the room. "It could be that too. When he was younger, my Uncle Algie had an older wizard friend and the guy loved making really strangely shaped rooms. When he got bored of one room, he would just leave it and make a new one."

He then gave a chuckle. "The place is actually a wizarding tourist attraction now. How did you get all of these ingredients?"

Elsa finished setting up what she wanted for him to do today and answered. "The Students' Common Ingredient Storage."

Neville turned to face her and said, "I haven't seen these in there before." He pointed to some of the ingredients in particular.

Elsa gave a bit of a grin as she said, "You can find them there if you know where to look." Neville gave a thoughtful hum in response. "Anyways. I know you might not like this, but I want to actually have you take a test of sorts today. I need to know where to start before I can help you."

Neville gave a sigh but nodded to her. "Understood…. Guess it's a good thing we don't have other plans today." Elsa nodded as she motioned for him to sit.

{-} {-} {-}

It didn't take long for Elsa to grade Neville's test once he finished. She wrote out the grades and handed them to him. He wasn't too bad. Not really very good, but not terrible. He could use a lot of improvement though, but that was the purpose of these sessions.

Neville looked over his grades and his eyes lit up in happiness. "This is amazing! I did feel like I was doing better than usual, but this is much better than I thought."

Elsa frowned at this as she said, "Those are just average scores… They aren't even the good kind of average…."

"Still much better than usual!" Neville said more than a little pleased with himself.

"What do you usually get?" Elsa asked out of curiosity.

Neville gave a slightly nervous laugh. "Either failing or barely passing. More barely passing at least. Today was just so much easier though."

Elsa sighed to this. Neville looked to her a little concerned. "What does Professor Snape usually do in your class?"

"He sneers a lot and really gets on everyone's case. He bears down on Harry and me even more than the others. We've talked about it before Friday," Neville said.

Elsa sighed again and shook her head. "I guess it really is like others have said. My classmates and I talk about the class sometimes in the common room and were overheard by some older students. They were surprised how tolerable Professor Snape seemed to be in our class from what they heard."

Neville frowned to this. Did this mean nothing would matter in his case? Actually he cared a little about his grades in that class, but it was better understanding the material that mattered the most to him.

"Well. I'll keep teaching you about the classes and everything, but we are going to have to get you over your fear of Professor Snape for it to make a difference in class," Elsa said.

Neville nodded to this and smiled. "I don't care so much about the class now that I think about it. I just want to get better at potions. Hermione tried to help me, but it didn't work too well and only seemed to make things worse because of how Professor Snape acts. Just teaching me the stuff better than that will be more than enough."

Elsa looked to him with a half frown. "That is the goal, but we are going to work on the other thing as well. I have an idea on how to help you with that and it will help you with your other classes and in many other ways as well likely."

"Wow… Really? I mean I do pretty alright in the other classes…" Neville said in thought.

"I don't know if it will be a big change, but it will help some I'm thinking. First… Let's get started on Potions for today," Elsa said with a smile. Neville nodded eagerly.

They started things off by studying the ingredients more than usual in the class. Neville seemed to do better with plant related ones and even surprisingly well at times. They also brewed a couple of potions and Elsa explained to him why ingredients had to prepped a certain way and why exactness was important in Potions.

"I don't know if you've ever heard people say things like how Potions is like cooking or something," Elsa started as Neville nodded. "That isn't exactly true. I mentioned how I set this place up like a muggle chemistry lab and there is a reason for that. You have to actually be extra careful with following instructions in chemistry. While you can make up for mistakes in Potions, the solution isn't as simple as just adding in this ingredient now that it came to my mind. In chemistry, a slight mistake can lead to disastrous consequences and completely change something. Potions aren't usually that extreme, but they are closer to that than cooking."

Elsa then explained to him a little of what chemistry was and he ended up agreeing with her that there were similarities. He now had a better idea why you should be more careful in Potions. It wasn't just because you didn't want Snape to sneer at you more than usual or give you an even lower grade. The consequences could be really bad. If Professor Snape had actually bothered to explain that from the start then maybe the class would be better.

{-} {-} {-}

As their study session came to an end, Neville was feeling better about this choice. He actually felt like he already learned a lot from Elsa. He also managed to successfully brew the potions they went over and by better than just a bad average grade. "Wow… That was a lot better than I ever thought possible for me…" Neville said as they were cleaning up for the day.

He sighed. "I just hope it won't all go to hell next Potions class. And I still do need to really catch up to get where we are now…"

Elsa gave him a friendly hug and smiled as she said, "True. But progress is progress. Besides, we've been going over more basic stuff. Basics are very important. Everything else is built upon them. Maybe you will end up doing a little bit better even with Professor Snape being well… Professor Snape."

Neville nodded to this. He then gave a chuckle. "Merlin, I wish we had Potions with Ravenclaw instead though. We've all heard about how he seems to actually teach and maybe behave in your class."

"It's sad that is something so impressive. Hate can run deep though. So, who knows if he would be any different in a Gryffindor and Ravenclaw class," Elsa said. "Let's finish getting everything cleaned up now." The two then did just that. It didn't take long for them to finish.

"What else was it you wanted to teach me?" Neville asked.

Elsa took in a deep breath thinking how to best approach this. "I don't know how easy this will be for you, but I was thinking you should learn to meditate and how to keep calmer in your mind. That helps a lot with magic. Part of my family's training, because of the gift, revolves around it. After my… awakening… I started those lessons and it helped me a lot in other aspects of my life as well. I think the same could be true for you, Neville. If you are willing to study this as well."

Neville gave it some thought. It didn't really take long for him to reach an answer. "Yes. I would like that. If it's something that can help, even in the slightest, I'll give it a try."

"Good," Elsa said with a smile. She then told him some ways to practice and what to do. They weren't exactly the same as the Royal Family methods, but they would still work she was certain.

Neville took notes on this as well and figured out when to do these meditations and such. He had a small inkling of an idea these methods could actually lead to something else entirely, but he wasn't sure yet. " _It would be cool if that did turn out to be true. I would love to learn this and then surprise my gran later when I get to those lessons with the family,_ " Neville thought to himself.

There was a part of the boy that was eager to get started on the meditation exercises. He knew they would most likely be very boring, but if he was right in his guess about them it would be worth it. He really hoped Elsa was also right in that they would help him with things in general and maybe he wouldn't be as forgetful eventually. The remembrall wasn't as useful as he had secretly hoped it would be despite how useless everyone said it ultimately was.

Elsa also decided after Neville agreed to learning these lessons as well to look up books in the Archive that might help. Maybe she would even be able to find copies of those books in the library. It would be nice if she didn't have to go into detail about her family's special room or try to hoover around the truth. She kind of wanted to keep the Archive a secret. She saw that room as precious and a way to learn about her relatives who also had the gift. It was already a very personal thing to her even though she just discovered it.

{-} {-} {-}

That night when it was about time for bed Neville started to go over the exercises he was supposed to do tonight. He was supposed to work on clearing his mind for now and organizing thoughts in a manner of speaking.

"What are you doing?" Seamus asked just as Neville was getting started.

Neville sighed. "I'm trying to meditate before going to bed."

"Why?" Seamus asked.

"Elsa said it might eventually help me out with Potions among other things," he answered.

"I hope so, but I doubt it. Nothing can help us Lions in that Snake's dark den," the other boy said with a small chuckle.

"I'm still trying it. I would appreciate it if you didn't bother me when doing so from now on. No offense. It's just hard to do this stuff while talking to someone," Neville said in as polite a manner as he could.

Seamus nodded and plopped down on his bed. Dean overheard them and did the same. It helped that the two of them were already tired after their fun and busy afternoon.

Harry seemed curious but decided to wait and see if it helped Neville any. Harry didn't think he would be able to do that kind of stuff. There was just too much to think about before going to sleep. His brain also didn't like being quiet usually.

Ron was busy scribbling away on some homework he had put off as much as possible. He was getting better at not doing that, but it still happened from time to time. It was actually quite the achievement that it was homework for just one class he had put off this long and not all of them. He still kind of partly did this on purpose from time to time because he didn't want to end up like Percy being a Prefect and all. The twins would never let him live it down and neither would Percy…

Ron thought maybe he would ask Neville about this meditation stuff Elsa was having him do sometime. He was pretty sure after all of this homework and the studying he would have to do for end of term tests, his mind could use a little clearing before bed. The last thing he wanted were dreams of school books dancing around with Percy's Prefect badge or something.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Home for the Holidays!

Elsa somehow made it through the last couple of weeks before Christmas Break. She felt the end of term tests weren't too bad, even if they did require some extra studying. She had Potions tomorrow, but she wasn't really too concerned about that one. She had a pretty good grasp on the class and its material. She was also good on Transfiguration as well.

The princess was actually good on all of her classes, but she did feel pressure when it came to Charms. She didn't want to disappoint Professor Flitwick and she wanted to do really well in it. Elsa felt like Charms was her class. This meant Hermione wasn't allowed to beat her on the end of term test. This also meant she might have sort of cheated a little and went for extra credit. She usually didn't in her classes, but occasionally ended up getting it. This time though she did because she knew Hermione would. The Gryffindor girl couldn't help but go for extra credit whenever possible.

Hermione always did feel extra pressure to excel it seemed. She probably felt she had to prove she belonged in the magical world because she was born a muggle. Elsa was hoping she and the others could get Hermione away from feeling that way as often and stressing out about it. It was good to excel and do really well in your classes, but Elsa feared Hermione would go too far eventually. She could easily end up as one of those people who would argue for another point on one question even if they already had more than a full marks worth of points on the test with their extra credit.

{-} {-} {-}

Elsa was currently in History of Magic. They already had their test earlier in the week, but Professor Binns decided to actually keep teaching despite Holiday break starting in just a couple of days. Elsa wasn't even sure if the ghost was aware of the time of year. She wouldn't be surprised if he arrived to teach class next Monday only to realize no one was there half way through class. The ghost teacher would probably then seek out Professor Dumbledore, who would set him straight on the matter.

She gave a stretch as she yawned. She was awake though barely and even Draco, who was usually very attentive somehow, seemed to be drifting a little bit this class. "Hey, Draco?" Elsa asked curiously.

Draco blinked himself to attention and turned to her. "Yes, Elsa?" he asked.

"How do you manage to pay attention in this class so well usually? Or maybe the better question is why do you bother to pay attention so much in this class? I know you're fully aware of how he's just repeating the textbook and rambling about stuff covered in the text book without adding any different information," Elsa asked.

Draco gave a slight smirk before answering. "I approach this class as a form of training and practice for when I take up my family's lordship duties. Father is always saying a half way decent wizard will know about the stuff covered in a meeting before the meeting takes place. Malfoys are more than just half way decent. We pay attention during the meeting to not only the person speaking, but to those around the room no matter how boring and mundane said meeting is. We do this even though we already know everything about what is being said. That is how we figure out what is really going on in the wizarding world."

Elsa nodded to this. "That's a good idea." Draco smirked a little more to that. "I might be willing to use that approach if I didn't already know how to do that myself and already had plenty of practice, even if I wish I didn't already have it."

Draco gave a curious look to her as he asked, "What do you mean? Why have you already had practice in such things?" He was actually genuinely curious.

"Magic may only occasionally pop up in my family, as most seem to know by now, but even if you don't usually bother with muggle affairs there is a vast society of muggles. There are plenty of families that do a lot of business all over the world. My family is one of many and since I'm the oldest my parents have been training me for such things," Elsa answered.

"But since you're in the magic world now, do you even need to worry about such things?" he asked.

Elsa shrugged. "Even with the whole Statute of Secrecy, it doesn't mean there can be no contact between muggles and wizards. It just means magic can't be involved or exposed more or less." She then turned to Draco and looked at him for a moment before adding, "I wouldn't be surprised if the Malfoy family did do business with muggles. Why limit your business opportunities just because of such things as magic and non-magic?"

Draco wasn't sure how to reply to that. He didn't think it would be true, but then again, he didn't yet know everything his family and father did. He was partly cursing himself for slacking in that regard at the moment. He refused to learn about such things sooner because he didn't think it was cool and it was too much of a pain to study them.

He might have asked her more about the topic at hand, but it was then time for the class to end and with that the day was now over. They didn't have Astronomy that night because they already had their test last week. Professor Sinistra didn't want students using her class as a weak excuse for doing bad on their tests the next day. Draco had instead planned on making good use of the extra time for other things. He wasn't too concerned about Transfiguration himself, because he knew the class well enough and he could just blame any unacceptable grades, in his father's eyes at least, on Professor McGonagall hating Slytherins. He couldn't get too far with that excuse, because his father knew that despite everything Professor McGongall was mostly fair to everyone. The excuse could work a little bit, because even she had slip ups every now and then.

Elsa gave a stretch as she got up from her desk. She was going to do a little more studying before figuring out something else to do for the day. She was half tempted to go and tease Hermione for overstudying, but her friend wouldn't actually listen to her and would just keep studying anyways. She wished there was enough time to write another letter to Anna, but it would barely arrive before she did by this point. If she knew more about magic, maybe she could jury-rig some way to mimic a long-distance phone call to home. Her whole family would love that and so would she. That was yet another project to think on and maybe look up in the Archive.

{-} {-} {-}

Elsa gave a sigh as she finished her last test. Defense Against the Dark Arts was even more painful than usual because it was the last test before Holiday break. She would finally be going home tomorrow and get to see Anna again. She stood up and left with Harry and the others.

"Since that test is over. Merry Christmas!" Elsa said with more glee and cheer than many would think possible. It was more cheerful than Elsa usually was about Christmas, which was higher than average people, but they were used to it and just as happy and glad to be finished with their tests. Hermione wasn't even trying to come up with a list of all the ways she messed up her last test even.

In response to Elsa, it was Neville who chuckled and said, "Merry Christmas, Elsa. You sound really excited for it."

"Of course, I am. Exams are finally over. It's Christmas. And I'll be seeing Anna again soon! What isn't there to like?" Elsa asked smiling.

Hermione gave a laugh and replied, "I guess there isn't much to not like when you put it that way."

"I'm just glad I can finally take a break from this whole study thing… I don't know how you two do it," Ron said looking to both Elsa and Hermione.

Hermione gave a slight frown and might have commented on what she thought of his study habits or mostly lack thereof, in her opinion. However, Elsa gave a giggle and said, "Years of practice, Ron. Years of practice. Those in the muggle world start school around 6 years old or sometimes even younger." Ron just shook his head in awe as Harry, Hermione and Elsa laughed together at his reaction.

{-} {-} {-}

It wasn't long before Elsa woke up that Saturday morning exceptionally cheerful. The princess was honestly surprised she managed to get any sleep last night. The Ravenclaw Girls had another sleep over celebrating both the end of the term and Christmas. They had plans to celebrate the new year once they returned at the start of the next term.

Elsa was humming/singing Christmas songs to herself as she showered and got dressed for the day. Morag woke up with a mighty stretch for an eleven-year-old girl. "Seems like someone is chipper already this morning," she said with a chuckle.

"How can you not be in a really good mood? We're all leaving for the holidays today. Christmas is coming and I'll finally get to see Anna again," Elsa said as she smiled and started to hum again.

Morag shook her head and said, "It's just too early for anyone in their right mind ta be this cheery so early. I blame you for causing me to get up so early now. My Ma's gonna think I've gone mental when I can't even sleep as late as I used to you know?" She gave Elsa a playful frown as Elsa rolled her eyes before giggling.

"You could just take advantage of getting up so early instead of complaining, you know," Elsa said to her.

"That I plan to. I'm planning to server my parents breakfast in bed Christmas day," Morag answered.

Elsa gave a smile as she said, "That's really sweet of you. I'm sure they'll love it."

"Yes, they will. They also won't be able to keep me waiting until after they fix breakfast, which is way too late for Christmas Day, before opening presents," Morag said with a chuckle.

Elsa gave a cheerful laugh as she said, "That's very sly of you."

"I call it efficient," Morag said to Elsa earning a new laugh resulting in waking up the rest of their dormmates who couldn't even pretend to still be asleep by this point.

Breakfast was quick that morning, but not quick enough in Elsa's opinion. She did at least manage to try and not be too excited as she met with Harry and Ron to say goodbye to them before heading to Hogsmeade station with the others.

"I hope you two don't forget to look for information about Nicolas Flamel during the holiday break…" Hermione was saying to them as Elsa approached.

Ron sighed and said, "Of course we will, Hermione…"

"I just want to make sure you don't get too carried away goofing off is all…" Hermione said with a small frown. "I'm not saying you can't enjoy your holidays. Just don't forget."

Ron shook his head and was muttering something they couldn't hear because Harry decided to head off further debate by saying louder than necessary. "Elsa! There you are." He then laughed and jokingly said, "I was starting to think in your excitement you forgot to say goodbye before leaving."

Elsa gave a very slight blush that Harry barely noticed as she said, "Well Christmas is my favorite holiday and… Well I also celebrate my birthday as well during this time."

"Oh? When is your birthday exactly?" Hermione asked curiously.

"December 21st," she answered.

"Oooo Winter Solstice!" Hermione said as her eyes lit up.

"Usually at least," Elsa added.

Hermione nodded before then saying, "I've read that there really is a lot of magical significance to the Winter Solstice especially when it comes to runes."

"You're already looking into runes?" Neville asked in awe.

"Yes, well…" Hermione blushed a little before continuing. "I've already looked a little ahead when it comes to schooling here at Hogwarts. I know we take electives in our third year. I think they sound really interesting and I'm already planning on taking both Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. I haven't decided on the others yet."

"Wow…" Elsa said a little stunned. "I haven't really thought too much about that yet. I mean I knew about taking electives our third year. I just wasn't going to start thinking about them until sometime during second year."

Ron seemed rather unimpressed as he said. "You know. I really should be surprised by this, but I'm not. I mean it makes sense that Hermione would already be looking into that stuff."

"What do you mean by that?" Hermione asked neutrally. There was a part of her that wanted to glare at him and somehow be offended, but she listened to her Elsa voice that told her not to be upset without knowing the reason.

Ron gave a shrug as he said, "Well I mean you're new to the magical world and really excited about it and you really are into the studying thing. I guess it only makes sense to me you would look into as much detail as quickly as possible when it comes to the whole education thing is all. I don't really mean anything bad about it."

Neville actually gave a chuckle and asked, "Oh? Not going to claim she will turn into a Percy clone or something if she doesn't stop?"

Hermione gave him a slight frown. Ron grimaced slightly as he said, "She's not a Weasley. She isn't in danger of that happening to her. I mean if it was going to happen to her it already would have by now." Ron then gave a bit of a chuckle to this as Neville and Harry laughed too. Elsa hid a snicker as Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron.

"The three of us should probably get going," Elsa started as Hermione and Neville nodded in agreement. Elsa then came over and gave Ron and Harry each a quick hug. "You two be safe and have fun this holiday break."

Harry gave a smile and nodded as he said, "I promise to be. I can't speak of Ron."

Ron gave him a mock glare as he said, "Oy. What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that I can't speak for you is all, mate," Harry said with a grin.

Ron gave a scoff before smiling and saying, "Same goes for me."

"Oh? You mean you can't speak for yourself either?" Elsa said with a snicker as Ron turned a little red and the others laughed. Elsa then gave him another quick hug and said, "I know what you meant." Ron seemed to be mollified with that and the others once again said goodbye to both Ron and Harry.

{-} {-} {-}

Once they were on the train, Elsa, Hermione and Neville found a compartment to share for the ride. The three friends were soon surprisingly joined by Susan Bones and Hannah Abbot. They all talked about various things together, but soon after some time Hermione couldn't help but say, "I'm surprised you two chose to sit with us." She knew both Hannah and Susan obviously and they all did pretty much get along, but Hermione had rarely had much contact with them.

Susan was the one who answered. "I don't really mind you all, but it was actually Hannah's idea." The girl in pigtails blushed to that.

"I kind of wanted to thank Elsa for helping me in Potions," she managed to say with her cheeks pinked.

Hermione gave a puzzled frown as she asked, "How did she help you out?"

"Is she tutoring you too?" Neville couldn't help but ask. It was his turn to blush as the two Hufflepuff girls looked to him questioningly. He gave a nervous laugh as he explained, "She kind of goes over the lessons with me when we meet up for studying Potions."

The girls shrugged and Hannah spoke again. "No, she doesn't do that for me. I sit by her in class. It feels like Professor Snape doesn't bother me as much as a result. It feels… well… safe I guess is the best way to say it."

"Lucky… I wish I could do that in Potions class. Professor Snape really hates me it seems," Neville said. He then gave Elsa a grin as he said, "But our study sessions really have been helping me out a lot!"

Elsa smiled to that. She was really happy their sessions had already been helping him even though they haven't been doing them for too long yet.

Hermione sighed to that. "I really don't get how he can keep staying on as a Professor at times. He really knows his stuff, but he is very unlikable and not exactly helpful."

Neville chuckled as he said, "I wish Ron could have heard you say that, Hermione. No doubt that would be a great Christmas present to him."

Hermione blushed as the other girls giggled. Elsa managed to hide her's, but Hannah wasn't as lucky. The blonde Hufflepuff seemed to giggle more than usual to Neville's statement.

Elsa was the next to speak and she changed the subject. "I was wondering if there were any wizarding Christmas stories people always share this time of the year. In the muggle world, we have several Christmas stories. My favorite is Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. It's a muggle ghost story of sorts, but it is all about Christmas."

Hannah actually answered first. "We do have some! One of my favorites is Felix and the Christmas Cheer. It's a story about Felix Summerbee the wizard who created the Cheering Charm. It takes place back long before the International Statute of Secrecy."

The pigtailed girl took a breath and continued, "Felix Summerbee lived in a small rural town that had both muggle and Wizard residents. Christmas was always a favorite time of the year for them there, but one year things were really tough on the town. Things were so bad both muggle and wizardkind weren't really very festive for Christmas like they usually were. Felix cared for his neighbors and especially loved Christmas. He had recently created and mastered his cheering charm spell and so he secretly used it on all of the residents when he threw a massive Christmas party. The town after that got back to their usual cheerful selves and ever since then Felix continued to use the charm on everyone at that time of the year even when they were already in good spirits. He was known as the Yuletide Cheer Bringer."

"After he died in 1508, a witch in the area continued the tradition he started and took up the name of Yuletide Cheer Bringer. When she died she passed on the title and duty to a wizard she was good friends with. And so, the tradition continued until many years later and many years after the International Statute of Secrecy was passed. The tradition in that area was mostly ignored until a good while later when a very grumpy wizard in the DMLE decided to end things. In the past, they had always looked it over because there was never any trouble in the area because of the magic usage."

Hannah then gave a smile and leaned in a little as she said, "However, it's been said that the last Yuletide Cheer Bringer knew something like that was eventually going to happen and they were a master at both runes and arithmancy. They used magic that couldn't be traced to give the people the same effects of the cheering charm every year right around Christmas time and so even today the people of that area are very cheerful around Christmas."

Elsa smiled, "That sounds like a really good story."

Hannah smiled brightly, "Of course the books and plays do a much better job of telling it than I did. I kind of just explained it. Sorry… I'm not really a story teller. That's more Ernie's thing."

Susan gave a laugh as she said, "Except he would be sure to throw a lot of himself in it somehow." Hannah and Elsa both gave a giggle to that.

"So, what is A Christmas Carol like?" Hannah asked.

"Like I said it's a muggle Christmas Ghost story. It's about this really old, grumpy, greedy, and very wealthy but equally unpleasant man called Ebenezer Scrooge. One Christmas Eve night, he's visited by three spirits called the Ghost of Christmas Past, Ghost of Christmas Present and Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come," Elsa said.

"I love this story too!" Hermione said.

"The Ghost of Christmas Past shows Ebenezer his past Christmas experiences. At parts, he briefly realizes he was a fool in the past when it came to the woman he had once loved. She ended their engagement claiming he loved money more than her which was true and he knew it even if there was a deep part of him that regretted feeling that way later," Elsa then looked to Hermione who smiled.

"Then came the Ghost of Christmas Present. He shows Ebenezer all of the wonderful times he is missing and how terrible he's been treating his employee Bob Cratchit and how despite all of that Bob and his family still find happiness for Christmas," Hermione said grinning. "The Ghost of Christmas Present is my favorite part."

Elsa then took over again and lowered her voice for effect. "Then there is the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Ebenezer sees how if things were left unchanged then Tiny Tim, Bob's youngest son, will die because he can't get treatment for his illness. He also sees what happens with his death. It ends up being a very harrowing experience for him."

She then smiled again, "And then he wakes up on Christmas Day a changed man filled with cheer as he vows to live with the spirit of Christmas every day from then on. He forgives many of the debts he had collected and he not only gave Bob a well-earned raise, but also helped his family in any way he could. This included Tiny Tim's treatments. He changes so much that Bob's children come to see him as an uncle of sorts."

Hermione then gave a snicker as she said, "It is a good story, but of course the plays and books tell it far better." Elsa and the others laughed as well to this.

The group of students spent the rest of the trip trading summaries of Christmas stories they liked. These stories included such wonders as The Goblin Who Spread Christmas Cheer at a Discount and even Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Elsa and Hermione liked the Goblin story. The goblin spread Christmas Cheer at the discount of either three sickles or a magical oath to do the same for someone else in exchange for a forgiven debt or service. He later donated the money he got from individuals to charities. The charities depended on what the individuals were like. If they were very unpleasant, he made sure their money went to a place that person hated. This easily meant Malfoy's money would have gone to something Dumbledore started up or something that helped muggleborns in the wizarding world. When it came to the people who were nice and pleasant he even matched their total donation.

{-} {-} {-}

When the train finally pulled into Kings' Cross Station, Elsa felt it was both too short and too long of a trip. She really enjoyed talking about Christmas with her friends. She also felt very eager to get home to Arendelle and see Anna again. She was pretty sure she wouldn't let go of her sister once they exchanged their welcome back hugs.

Once she gave each of her friends a proper goodbye and "Happy Holidays", she had to draw upon her training not to take off running for the VIP Smoking Lounge as fast as possible. In her eagerness, she had to remind herself she had luggage to take with her. When she was right in front of the travel lounge, she was actually surprised to see both Vitus and Rose Diamond waiting for her.

"I didn't expect an escort," she couldn't help but say to them.

Rose gave a chuckle and said, "Did you already forget the letter we sent you talking about it?"

Elsa blinked for moment and then did her best to hide her blushing cheeks as she cleared her throat and said, "Vitus would you be so kind as to grab my trunk for me?"

Vitus gave a slight smile that mostly went unnoticed as he picked up her trunk. "It seems I was right to tell Rose we should wait for you here. I knew you would be very eager to get home for Christmas and forget about the letter."

Elsa gave a slight pout as she said, "Okay so I was. It's my favorite Holiday and my birthday is coming up and I really want to see Anna."

She then sighed and added, "It was really hard getting through the end of term tests. I mean I'm very certain I did very well, but it wasn't easy staying focused while studying."

Rose placed a hand on Elsa's shoulder and smiled as she said, "Well you won't have to wait too much longer. We do have to go to a different part of the station though. They have a few apparition zones here we have to choose from to use." She then led the way as Elsa followed and Vitus took up the rear.

{-} {-} {-}

Elsa had decided she wasn't really too much of a fan of side along apparition as everything came into focus again. Once they were in a clearing near the Rock Troll village, Elsa asked, "Couldn't Vitus just have teleported us? It's a lot easier to experience."

"You needed to experience Side Along Apparition, Princess Elsa. Few can do what I can do and so you need to get used to the effects of Apparition. When you are ready to study that at Hogwarts you will be better prepared for the nauseous feelings that come with it. Port Keys aren't really much more pleasant and require too many regulations. Apparition will come in handy if you ever need to make a quick escape, even if you have to first get outside of Anti-Apparition wards," Vitus instructed as an answer to her complaining.

Elsa sighed, "Then I guess I need to experience it a few more times at least. A princess should not be seen in a nauseated state just because of magic travel."

Vitus nodded to this in agreement. Rose gave a slight frown. Elsa had a point, but maybe they should just travel via teleportation or floo from now on. After all Elsa was the Crown Princess of Arendelle, she shouldn't have to settle for regular travel even if said regular travel was magical. "Maybe you'll be able to learn teleportation yourself one day, Princess Elsa."

Vitus was in thought, but remained silent. It didn't matter because right after discussing magic travel Rose moved the conversation onwards. "Anyways. Your father is eagerly awaiting you by the entrance to Rock Troll Glade." Rose then laughed, "In fact, he was actually very much tempted to demand he come with us. Your mom is unfortunately too busy to visit you here, but I'm sure you'll be able to see her once you get to the castle even if you have to meet with her quickly while she works."

Elsa smiled brightly to that. She really missed her parents and was really happy at least one of them could get away to pick her up. When they were at the entrance to Rock Troll Glade, Elsa gave up being queenly and ran to her father and jumped into his open and waiting arms. "Oh! It is so good to see you again, Elsa!" he said as he hugged her tightly.

"I missed you so much, daddy!" Elsa said as she actually sniffed back a few tears. She partly hated how she was acting like the eleven year old girl she was. It wasn't queenly at all. She also liked being able to hug her daddy this tightly again.

"How's Anna doing?" she asked once he put her down and took Elsa's trunk from Vitus. Sure, he could just have Vitus take it to the car for him, but he was really happy to do the dad thing and carry his daughter's luggage for her.

The king smiled to her and gave a jolly chuckle. "It was really hard not getting her to come along as well. She only gave up when Kai caught her trying to smuggle herself into the car's trunk. I'd bet she's sitting on the steps near the car port waiting to tackle you with a hug the second you step out of the car."

Elsa smiled even broader hearing that. Maybe it would be Anna who wouldn't let go of her for the whole of Christmas break.

Elsa was animatedly talking to her dad and describing everything she dared about her first semester at Hogwarts on the car ride back. Kai might have drawn the ride out a little for various reasons. She was excited to talk since it wasn't only her first semester in a magical school, but her first time in a school period.

As the car finally pulled into the royal car port, King Agnarr smiled again to his daughter and said, "It's good to see you've made some good friends already, Elsa. Though I must admit I think it even better you're home again." He gave a chuckle as Elsa smiled and hugged him again.

Once her door was opened, she hadn't even fully stepped out of the car before a red blur with a streak of white blonde grabbed her tightly. "Elsa! I'm so happy you're back!" Anna said happily with a bright smile as she tried to hide tears of happiness.

"Oh Anna… I'm really happy to see you again as well. I really missed you," Elsa said.

"I missed you more!" Anna started.

Elsa gave a laugh as she said, "I'm not about to have an argument on who missed who more after just seeing you again."

"Good. You'd lose," Anna said with a giggle as she hugged Elsa even tighter.

Elsa managed to get up and had a flicker of a sad smile on her lips as she noticed Anna grew some these past few months. She quickly changed her sad smile into an even happier one as she held on to Anna and the two entered the Palace. "So, any idea where mom is right now?" Elsa asked Anna.

Anna nodded and smiled as she said, "I'll show you the way. I'm not letting go of you yet."

Elsa gave a giggle and replied, "Who said I wanted you to?" Anna laughed to this as they made their way to their mom.

"Mom!" Elsa said as they opened the door to one of the studies the Queen was using while working on some papers.

Queen Iduna smiled brightly and happily hugged the white blonde blur that almost tackle hugged her. "It is good to see you again, honey… I really missed you. I wanted to meet you after you arrived, but well you know how it is."

Elsa nodded to this. "What matters is I get to see you now and for the rest of the break," she replied and broke off the hug after a little bit. As soon as Elsa broke off the hug, Anna once again grabbed hold of her. Perhaps a nine year old princess shouldn't be this attached to her older sister even with the long absence, but neither of them cared. Anna was intent on not letting her sister go anytime soon.

"I really could use something to eat. I haven't missed supper yet have I?" Elsa asked. There was at least three hours' time difference between here and the train station.

Queen Iduna couldn't help but act scandalized at those words. "Do you really think we would have dinner without the Crown Princess the day she returned from abroad?"

"Well there is a time difference. I guess I didn't want you all waiting on me to eat if it would be a bother," Elsa said with a slight frown.

Anna smiled as she said, "I wouldn't have been able to eat dinner without you tonight, Elsa. No way. I've been waiting all day. I think I might have even kind of skipped lunch…" The youngest princess blushed as she looked to the floor. She was immensely relieved her stomach didn't growl at that moment like it would in those cartoons.

"Well then. It seems we should eat right now. I could use the break and I won't have my two princesses go hungry," their mom said with a warm and beautiful smile. "I'm pretty sure the staff will be ready as soon as you two wash up." The two princesses grinned and almost ran, since it wasn't queenly to fully run, to go and wash up.

{-} {-} {-}

Dinner was a wonderful affair. Elsa described her school life the best she could without giving away too much detail since Anna was with them. Elsa was a little shocked it wasn't as difficult on her to do as she thought it would be. Maybe it was the Queen in her that was already finding ways to control information around others, or maybe there was something else to it. Something magical. Maybe the protections worked on her directly instead of the location of Hogwarts alone.

There was still plenty Elsa could talk about fortunately. She might not have said what the classes were like in detail or how the professors dressed, but she could describe them. "The head of my house, Professor Flitwick, is usually happy and gentle, but he can be stern when he needs to be. He also really cares for us Ravenclaws and the other students. He is respected and tougher than you think. He was a dueling champion in his past and well respected as such."

"Like fencing?" Anna asked.

Elsa gave a slight nod as she answered, "Yes, pretty much. My friend's head of house, Professor McGonagall, is probably the sternest of the professors, but she's also fair." She then gave a chuckle as she said, "Ron complains about it every now and then. He thinks since Professor Snape treats Gryffindor terribly and absolutely loves Slytherin and lets them mostly get away with everything, Professor McGonagall should do the same for Gryffindor."

The crown princess then laughed a little louder. "His older twin brothers usually tease him in response by saying he just needs to learn how to not be stupid and get caught so easily. They claim a blind man could see it when he was trying to get away with something. Fred and George are identical to each other in pretty much every way and are the school's residential troublemaking pranksters."

"You aren't associating with them too much are you, Elsa?" the Queen asked. Iduna then sighed and added, "You and Anna have always had your little jokes, but aren't too bad. I really don't want you to pick up too many bad habits."

Elsa pretended to looked utterly scandalized at her mom's words. "Mother! When have Anna and I ever pulled 'jokes'?" Both princesses gave far too innocent smiles as their father laughed.

"Do I really need to remind you of how Anna likes to spook new staff by talking to the paintings and you will join her in said conversations from time to time, Elsa? Also, there have been times when you two tease the staff. Fortunately, you two aren't too bad and our staff are wonderful people who are understanding, but still…"

Anna was actually the first one to blush when their mom mentioned this. Elsa blushed slightly before answering her mom's question. "I do count them as friends, but I don't really get in on pranks with them and I doubt I even could if I wanted. The two of them are very tightly knit and the only one who they sometimes let join in on their pranks is their friend Lee Jordan who's in the same year as them."

The Queen sighed in relief and smiled. "I do want you to have a lot of fun, dear. I just hope you won't go too crazy is all. I trust you won't, but a mother worries about her daughters, especially if they are princesses and she herself pulled jokes on the staff at your age."

The King then let out a loud laugh. "Oh, don't lie, honey. You were quite to jokester even when you were older. The other nobles' sons and I talked about it plenty. I just always found it exceptionally charming."

Iduna gave her husband a loving smile and said to him, "That's part of the reason you're the King and they aren't. It's important for a Queen to have someone they love and can just be a normalish person around."

Their conversation carried on while they had dessert. Elsa asked Anna all about what she had been up to. Surprisingly, it seemed in Elsa's absence Anna had really focused a lot more on her lessons and reading during her free time. Kristoff had visited a few times, especially early on because Anna was feeling lonely and off while Elsa was away at Hogwarts. After Anna started to get over Elsa having left for a school, the younger princess decided to take her studies more seriously and started reading as well. Anna liked reading, but it was always Elsa who loved it.

Part of the reason Anna was trying to emulate Elsa was in hopes of maybe also getting to a point where she could go to the same school Elsa did. The older sister wished that could happen more than anything, but she wasn't counting on it. It was a possibility up until shortly after Anna turned eleven, but Elsa wouldn't count on it. She expected if Anna had magic there would have been signs of it by now.

Hermione had mentioned having several oddities happen around her when she was really young. Professor McGonagall later explained to her it was accidental magic. Many of Elsa's house mates had experienced accidental magic at young ages as well. In fact, it seemed to be the norm really. It was odd as Neville explained, since he was one of the odd ones, for accidental magic to first happen shortly before going to Hogwarts.

There was also the fact those in the royal family who had the gift and attended Hogwarts showed signs fairly early on in their lives. Elsa had found this out from her mother and from the Archive. They didn't really show signs as early or with the level of control Elsa had, but still it happened early in their lives. There were plenty in the royal family who awakened their magic later without early signs of it. Anna could be one of those cases, but that thought process led down an overly dangerous path of hopefulness. Elsa couldn't take getting that hopeful only to be disappointed in the end. It would be too crushing. She was plenty happy just having Anna in her life as much as currently possible. She didn't really need more than that, even if it would be nice and she really wanted it.

{-} {-} {-}

Elsa stretched as she finished getting ready for bed that night. She had been traveling most of the day, but she was really tired. She really hoped Anna wouldn't keep her up too late talking. The two had quickly decided to have a sleep over together in Elsa's room. The bed was easily large enough for the two of them and Elsa had deep down figured this was obviously going to happen. She was actually hoping for it. Elsa saw spending the night with her sister as the best way to start her Holiday vacation.

"Hmmm…" Elsa hummed in thought as she looked around her room.

"What is it?" Anna asked from the chair where she was sitting currently.

"It just hit me again how different it is having your own room is all. At my school, we have a room about this size and all of us in the same year share it. We each have our own bed, desk and vanity, but it is still much different," Elsa said.

"Wow… I can't really imagine that," Anna said in shock. She wasn't opposed to the idea, but it was very different to her usual life style.

Elsa gave a mighty stretch and moan as she then said, "I really can't wait to take a proper bath tomorrow. The bathroom situation isn't the best at school, but it is kind of bearable." She had opted for just taking a quick shower tonight because of how tired she was.

Anna giggled. "You're sounding like some old lady."

Elsa gave a huff as she said, "Well that just shows old ladies know what's really important and what the best things are in life."

Anna laughed to that. Elsa gave a mischievous grin as she crept towards Anna and said, "For instance…" She leaped forward and tackled her sister. "having younger sisters to tickle after calling them old ladies!" she finished as she commenced with the tickling causing Anna to laugh uncontrollably.

After they finished their tickle fight, which Elsa won with a total victory, the two landed on the bed catching their breath. "I really did miss you, Elsa. I'm glad you're home again. I just hope this Christmas break lasts forever. I don't think I can stand seeing you off again until next summer."

Anna sniffed a little. Elsa placed a finger on Anna's lips before then wiping a tear from Anna's cheek. "Now isn't the time to think about such things, Anna. I miss you just as much. Plus, I do get a week off for Easter. But that is a long way off and we have all of Christmas to enjoy," Elsa finished with a smile that got Anna to smile as well. The two then talked a little longer before going to bed for the night. They had a lot of things to do while Elsa was home and that meant they needed to get some sleep right now.

{-} {-} {-}

"So, tell me more again about this sport you briefly mentioned… I think it was called Quiggby… or something," Anna asked/demanded.

Elsa gave a light-hearted laugh before she spoke. "It's called Quidditch. It's really hard to explain. The sport is a rather ancient tradition of the school. Each house has a team. It is some strange mix of soccer, basketball and dodgeball. The game has far too much going on and it can't really be properly pictured. Despite this the sport is kind of fun to watch and Harry ended up being an exception to one of the rules that usually don't allow first year students to play it. It was mostly out of desperation that he was put on the team, but he's been proving himself worth the risk Gryffindor took selecting him."

Anna had this really adorable look, in Elsa's opinion, as she tried to figure out Quidditch from the very loose definition Elsa gave. Anna still nodded as if she figured it out, probably because she wanted her older sister to keep talking about it. Elsa took a sip of her tea and smiled.

"I might be a bit torn when it comes to the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw game. Harry is my friend, but Ravenclaw is my house and I do know some of the people on the team. While they don't mind me cheering him on when playing other houses, I doubt that will hold true when we play them," Elsa said.

While she really enjoyed talking to her sister, Elsa still found it a bit unnerving how she didn't seem to have too much of problem lying to Anna about her school. Perhaps she had gotten used to it because of all the letters she wrote. It might also be the fact that her lies were close to the truth in a manner. Elsa hoped there would be a day where she didn't have to lie like this to Anna, but she had a feeling that day wasn't coming anytime soon if at all when it came to magic. A part of her envied how Hermione could tell her family all about magic if she wanted.

" _If it wasn't for the accident I could share everything with Anna about magic,_ " Elsa thought to herself as she sipped her tea before continuing to talk with Anna.

{-} {-} {-}

"I can't wait to see the show!" Anna cheered from next to Elsa.

"I really like the Nutcracker too. The music and the dancing. Though part of me wishes it was already tomorrow night," Elsa said sitting next to Anna in their car while Vitus drove them.

"I still don't get it. You claim to not like scary stories yet your favorite Christmas story is a Ghost story," argued Anna.

"A Christmas Carol is different," Elsa replied as she usually did when this topic was brought up. It happened a few times each year around Christmas.

Anna playfully rolled her eyes and might have said something more, but Vitus spoke up from the front. "We're here, Your Highnesses."

Anna no longer cared about their not really an argument but still an argument after that. She loved watching the Nutcracker every year from their theater balcony. A couple of times their parents came with them, but usually it was Kai or Gerda if not the both of them attending with them.

Vitus took over from time to time after he had started teaching Elsa whatever the private lessons he taught her were. Anna thought Vitus a little scary at first because he didn't really seem like a teacher to her, but she had come to like the guy in a way. He gave off this aura of safety even though he wasn't too much of a talker. Anna wasn't a fool and figured out that not only was he a teacher for Elsa, but also a bodyguard of sorts.

When he first took over and escorted them to a ballet show, Anna was surprised the man really seemed to have a deep appreciation for the dancers. He not only enjoyed the dances, but he also liked the grace the performers had and the dedication to their craft. The younger princess found a sort of amusement in the fact this big and tough man could sometimes be caught tapping his foot in time to dance steps and the music.

Something else Anna had noticed was she had come to appreciate The Nutcracker differently. Similar to what Elsa had said years back, Anna now could further understand just how much work and training the dancers had gone through even for a traditional holiday performance. There was also the fact going to the ballet with her sister seemed more precious this year since Elsa now attended school in a different country.

Anna smiled as she usually did while watching the ballet, but there was more to it than there had been in the past. This whole Holiday season was going to be something much more, even when it came to the normal stuff. As they were leaving, Anna looked to Elsa and said, "I get what you were talking about when it comes to this ballet. It isn't just a wonderful performance to watch. I see more in it than I did in the past."

Elsa gave a hum in thought and asked, "Is that so?"

"Yes. Seeing those dancers and hearing the music means more to me now," Anna replied.

Elsa then gave a mock look of horror as she teasingly said, "Vitus… I think we have an imposter on our hands. Anna is acting too mature for Anna."

"Oh? I'll make sure to look thoroughly into this matter, Your Highness," Vitus replied in such a serious and no-nonsense tone, that if it wasn't for the slight curve of his lips Anna might have thought he was being serious.

Anna instead decided to give what Elsa referred to as a "Cute Little Sister Pout". This caused Elsa to laugh and Vitus' slight smirk to curve a little more. The younger princess then gave up on the pout and giggled as well.

"I guess actually taking my studies more seriously has caused me to grow up a little. After all…" Anna then gave a bit a mischievous grin as she said, "Who knows how many little sisters you might try to adopt at this school of yours. I have to make sure I'm clearly in the lead."

Elsa rolled her eyes. "Like any other girls could even hold a candle to your roaring fire as best little sister ever."

Anna grinned more in response. There was a small part of her that felt relieved hearing Elsa say those words. Perhaps she was feeling a little less secure without having her best big sister in the world around all the time. She would never admit it though, doing so wouldn't be very princess like.

{-} {-} {-}

The day after the Nutcracker the sisters enjoyed a normal and boring, but still enjoyable morning and afternoon. That evening it was Elsa who seemed more excited. Anna was excited as well, but Elsa really loved A Christmas Carol. In fact, Elsa loved A Christmas Carol so much that if she had it her way she would watch it every day at least twice during the Holiday season starting in early November. Elsa had even one time said, "I think once I'm Queen I'll make a law stating that every theater group must perform A Christmas Carol in front of the Queen whenever she wishes it."

The scary thing is Anna wasn't sure if Elsa was joking or seriously thinking about making such a law. The younger princess could have sworn before the Queen training Elsa had considered tossing a group who messed up at one point during the play into the dungeon. Anna was pretty sure the royal family didn't really do that anymore, but Elsa had seemed as if she would reintroduce the practice.

Their mother at the time had scolded Elsa by saying, "Princess Elsa… We do not throw children into dungeons for making a fart joke in the middle of A Christmas Carol."

Elsa then sighed and sat down. After the play finished, she was again happy. "Other than that moment… It was still a great play!" Elsa had said.

While they watched the play presently, Elsa had wondered if maybe she could befriend some of the Hogwarts ghosts and convince them to participate in a version of the play. It would be really cool to have actual ghosts play the role of the sprits and Marley. She was sure the Fat Friar of Hufflepuff would be more than happy to help. Nearly Headless Nick might be as well. Her friends said he was a fairly friendly ghost even if rather melancholy most times.

She wasn't so sure about the others. The Grey Lady seemed to not really mind Elsa so much, but they could hardly be called friends. The Bloody Baron would only possibly participate in the play if the Grey Lady convinced him to do so. Elsa decided she would have to befriend some of the other Hogwarts Ghosts instead.

It also probably wouldn't be a good idea without the Bloody Baron though. There was no doubt Peeves would find too much pleasure otherwise in ruining the play. He would probably add in fart jokes like those kids did years ago. He might also decide to make the experience more immersive in some foul manner such as letting off smoke and dung bombs while cackling evilly during the ghost of Christmas yet to come's part. He would do it all while claiming it was for the sake of Art. Elsa wasn't sure if she would be able to keep her powers secret if Peeves got his hands on A Christmas Carol.

Despite this. There was a part of her that took some delight in thinking how Peeves would react to seeing her powers unleashed on him in full force. Peeves wasn't really a ghost, so he had an actual physical body. Sure, it was much more durable than even the most fit of human bodies, but Elsa doubted it would be able to withstand the ice she could produce. There was a darker part of her that now wanted to tempt the poltergeist even more knowing this. Having witnessed some of the things Peeves did, she felt a little too eager in a way teach him a lesson.

Elsa shook her head of such thoughts and instead chose to enjoy watching an All-star cast preform her favorite Christmas story. One of the many perks of being royalty was the best actors of the stage or movie screen were more than eager to preform in front of the Arendelle Princesses in the nation's capital. Elsa loved the magic and emotion the best of Arendelle's best, which even included some of the world's best as well, brought to the stage for her and Anna to witness. They also made sure to watch the less known local talent as well. Both Anna and Elsa took after their mother in the way that they also wanted to encourage people to keep with their dreams of preforming in front of a live audience on the stage, even if they were new to it.

Their mother had told them one time that part of the reason she would sometimes go to watch theater groups in a play was because she wanted to encourage them. Sure, you could easily be a royal and expect to watch only the best on stage and such, but you needed to realize that many of the best started out on a small local stage somewhere and had to keep going despite everything. This was part of the reason Arendelle was actually a pretty well-known place for the arts along with other things.

Elsa was very much into this performance of A Christmas Carol. She had gasped at all of the right places and laughed with everyone else when it was the right time to do so. She had even sniffed back a few tears when Scrooge witnessed his own failing at love during his visit to the past. This was why she loved theater so much. The actors here were focused on giving the audience a performance they would remember and love for the right reasons.

"Even though it was very unlikely. I'm really glad there weren't any fart jokes this time. I would have hated to throw them in the dungeon," Elsa said to Anna with only the slightest hint of a mischievous smile as her young sister's turquoise blue eyes widened and the girl laughed. They easily stood up to applaud the theater group for their production of the Christmas classic.

Once they were back at the palace, Anna gave out a big laugh and said, "For a second there, I was actually a little scared you were being serious when you talked about dungeons, Elsa. I actually was thinking about the time when we saw that one performance of A Christmas Carol where the kids added in fart jokes."

Elsa frowned to this and seriously said, "Well they did need to learn not to mess with the classics in some fashion. I'm sure a dungeon stay of a month or two would have been enough to get that message across to them."

Anna was caught off guard and blinked dumbly a few times.

Elsa gave a giggle and said, "You should see your face. This is too funny. I didn't like that part of the portrayal, but I don't really hold it against them. They were just children." Elsa then hummed as she held a thoughtful face and said, "I wonder what they are like now…"

Despite everything, there was a part of Elsa's brain that fantasized about a couple of those boys from back then being very serious about theater. They were a couple of years older than her if she remembered correctly. This dream version of the boys showed them as very handsome and serious young men who knew when to cut loose without betraying their selves.

One of them even looked like a grown up and more handsome version of Harry. Elsa's brain decided it was best to give her visions of a more muscular and handsome version of Harry who was spouting out Charles Dickens and William Shakespeare left and right with ease. This version of Harry was very drool worthy and very deep as well. Elsa knew it was some ultra-romanticized version of her friend, but she was fine with that. She even knew it was unrealistic, but there was a small part of her that wanted this vision of her friend to somehow be his true self.

{-} {-} {-}

Elsa woke up on December 21st very eager. She knew her family usually gave her extra gifts on Christmas Day for her birthday, but they still did give her special treatment on the actual day. She actually preferred it that way, because it felt odd to open presents and open them again a few days later. Elsa smiled as she woke up and took in the wonderful scent of hot chocolate. Her lips couldn't help but smile widely as she knew what day it was.

"Happy Birthday, Elsa!" her family shouted in glee as she entered their family dining room. Anna made sure she was the first to give Elsa a birthday hug. Her parents followed suit once their younger daughter let them through.

"Thanks! Everyone!" Elsa replied smiling happily. Her blue eyes then lit up as she saw a beautiful glass of Hot Chocolate waiting for her on the table still steaming a little. She loved hot chocolate, as she loved all chocolate, but she loved the hot chocolate their staff made for her birthday even better. They somehow found a way to improve upon something that was already perfect in her opinion.

They were also treated to a breakfast with all of her favorites including a few new ones she had mentioned discovering while at Hogwarts. Elsa felt extra warm as she enjoyed this breakfast with her family. She looked forward to the rest of her day. There was a festival held in Arendelle for her birthday as there was one held on Anna's birthday in the summer. She would make appearances with her family and there was even a party of sorts at the palace. It wasn't as stuffy as the usual royal parties, because this one was actually meant for the children.

There would be some dancing because she loved dancing and there would be a lot of wonderful music. A few performers would be there for entertainment and the guests would play some games. Once the party was over, she and her family would gather and decorate a special Christmas tree in the family room. This tree was the one they would be using for Christmas presents on Christmas day. The staff would later put the family's presents to each other under the tree unless it was a present a family member wanted to put under the tree their self.

As they finished breakfast Agnarr spoke, "Fortunately the weather cooperated enough that the singing group you really wanted was able to make it last night. They were very excited to receive the invitation."

Elsa cheered as she said, "That's great to hear!" She wasn't concerned about being very queenly on her birthday in front of her family. She was really excited. She had been on a trip before Hogwarts with Vitus and they went to a musical where she really liked the group of singers. They were a small group but also very talented. The group would be preforming in Arendelle a few weeks after the new year, but Elsa hoped maybe they could come sooner for her birthday. They would be leaving soon after her birthday so they could enjoy Christmas with their own families before they returned again in the new year.

{-} {-} {-}

Elsa smiled as she looked again at the dress she would be wearing for her birthday party. She really liked it. She was excited for her party. They had invited some of the usual nobles and such, but Kristoff would also be there along with both Vitus and Rose Diamond. She would have preferred they didn't really invite the nobles, but that would have been seen as disrespectful. Fortunately, most of them were generally decent people. Still it was her party, but she didn't really get it completely to herself. Such was the case when you were a princess.

Regardless of everything, it had still been a really good day and it was going to be a really wonderful night. The festivals had been wonderful and she enjoyed them. There had been plenty of goodies to eat including chocolate. She was looking forward to the party though. There would be a chorus of Happy Birthday, but most of the music was going to be Christmas music mixed with a few numbers that were really good for dancing. It would be a fun night, but there was a part of Elsa that was hoping they would find a way to have a snowball fight. That was something fun and interesting with the other noble kids, or well at least the ones that liked to have fun. There were some who were already far too serious for her liking.

"Are you ready, Princess Elsa?" her personal maid Liv asked as she knocked and entered the room.

"I believe so," Elsa replied.

"Good. Everyone is waiting for you," Liv said as she adjusted part of Elsa's dress. The maid then smiled and said, "It seems the young nobles here are actually in a mood for fun tonight. It should be a really good party."

Elsa gave a bit of a mischievous smile as she asked, "Do they seem to be in a snowball fight mood of fun?"

Liv laughed as she said, "Some of them might be, but there are some that 'won't want to get their clothes dirty'. You know how it is."

Elsa giggled, "I'm half tempted to demand it as Crown Princess." Liv laughed to that as well. "Sadly, I don't think that would be very queenly. I guess this would be called the weight of the tiara?"

Liv giggled a little, "You mean since you don't have the crown yet?" Elsa nodded. "Perhaps it is a lighter part of it."

Liv gave Elsa a birthday hug and stepped back. "You look as princess like as ever, Princess Elsa. Shall I lead the way?" Elsa nodded to that and the two of them left for the party.

Once the double doors were opened, Liv took her place as Kai shouted, "Princess Elsa of Arendelle!" There was applause and the party musicians started playing while the singers led everyone in a round of the Happy Birthday Song.

{-} {-} {-}

"Hmmm… I'm not sure about this one. His smile is a little off…" Anna said to Elsa.

"Perhaps you're right. I do like the rest of his body though," Elsa said to Anna while the other girls at the party giggled from behind the two princesses. A boy stood there a little uneasily as he smiled hopefully at them.

The party had been fun so far. There was a lot of wonderful music and some dancing. There was also plenty of eggnog and hot chocolate. They had played some card games and some board games. They even played a really fun word game everyone enjoyed while either sipping Eggnog or Hot Chocolate. The adults chaperoning the party had enjoyed their selves as well. No one was playing politics tonight.

There weren't any presents to unwrap. Elsa hadn't had presents at her parties in a long time. She didn't like how some of the nobles tried to impress her or her family with their gifts. Instead, Elsa always asked her guests to donate to a charity as a gift to her. Some of the nobles still might have tried to be impressive about it, but at least more people benefited from the supposed contest in this form.

There had been some dancing at the party, but they were taking a break from it for now. There was going to be a few more songs to dance to for the end of the party, but that was still a short time away. That had led to the current predicament. Elsa hadn't gotten that snowball fight, but she was fine with this alternative instead. It was even more entertaining in a way.

One of the boys at the party, maybe it was Kristoff, had decided they should have a snowman building contest. The winner of the contest would get to dance with Elsa for the last few dances and the runner up would get to dance with Anna.

Elsa and Anna loved this idea and so did the other girls. They got to watch all of the boys, no matter how noble, play around in the snow. After all, even the ones who didn't want to get their clothes dirty couldn't turn down such a contest. There was no way they would dare offend the Crown Princess and Royal family in such a manner. You couldn't really turn it down, because doing so would amount to saying, "No, I will not dance with the Crown Princess on her Birthday!" There was no way you could see that as anything other than being a slight to her.

The competitors also didn't dare do a lousy job either. The contest was clearly in good fun, but there was still a bit of pride in winning against the others. Plus, you got to dance with Princess Elsa if you won. Some of the more uptight noble sons even found their selves actually having a good time making a snowman.

Elsa and Anna also got to enjoy it even more because they were the judges. The other girls served as council to the Princesses. They would say a comment here and there, but they mostly enjoyed the reactions the Princesses got from the boys.

"Maybe he should get additional points for his creative use of props?" a girl named Esmae asked. She had long black curly hair and her dad was a noble and businessman who was well known for his loyalty to the crown. Her mother was a beautiful woman from France who played cello as part of an orchestra and painted during her free time.

"I see what you mean… It is something to keep in mind as we look at the others," Elsa said. The boy had used a broom to give his snowman a mohawk. It was funny to look at and unexpected.

As the contest came to an end, Anna giggled and quietly said, "Maybe I should have joined in the contest too! I bet I would have won. Then I'd be the one dancing with you."

Elsa giggled in return and said, "You're good at building snowmen, but I think you being my sister would be an unfair advantage." Anna giggled to this.

Kristoff ended up getting third place. He found a way to make it look like his snowman was in the middle of a wind storm. It was kind of cool how he got the scarf to stay that way and the snowman was holding on to his hat while fighting the invisible wind.

A boy named Leif, whose family had been around a really long time as nobles, got second. His snowman was doing a head stand and even had boots and mittens along with a small beard. His was very creative. Anna was glad the boy wasn't too tall to dance with her.

The winner was Nils, his parents weren't nobles but they were very well-established business people. They weren't a noble family, but they were very well respected in Arendelle. If Nils proved to be the same as his parents then it was very possible they could become a new noble family. Their family hadn't yet been in Arendelle long enough to have a title. They had more than shown their worth and loyalty to the crown and nation during their time here, but there were rules about such things and they were rules that couldn't be changed. Your family had to be in Arendelle for seven generations before you could be considered for even one of the lower noble titles. You could still work in politics and at a high level in the country no problem, but your family needed to be a certain age in Arendelle before receiving any titles.

His snowman was very different. He managed to get a bench. He then made the snowman sit on the bench with his left leg crossed over his right. He was also holding something that looked like a mug in one hand with a book opened in his lap.

Elsa would admit that he was handsome, even if not really her type looks wise. He was nice and polite and got along with people easily. He was also a really good dancer and that got him higher marks in Elsa's book. He also knew how to be charming. Elsa could tell he would be very popular with the girls if he wasn't already. He was actually a couple of years older than her.

{-} {-} {-}

"Thanks again for coming everyone!" Elsa said as the party was coming to a close. "I really enjoyed my party and especially the snowman building contest." There were laughs to this as one of the more uptight noble sons cheered loudly in agreement. He had really gotten into it, even if he didn't win.

"Everyone have a goodnight and a Merry Christmas!" Elsa shouted as everyone cheered and the guests left chatting happily about the party and the upcoming holiday. Elsa let out a sigh and sat down at one of the tables as Anna did the same.

Liv came over with another two glasses of Eggnog for the girls. "Are you two all partied out?" Both princesses nodded even as they smiled. "Well the party seemed to have been really fun." They nodded again as she handed them their glasses. "I hope you two aren't too tired. The King and Queen are probably going to collect you for decorating the family Christmas tree soon."

Elsa and Anna perked up at that. "I think we got enough eggnog and hot chocolate to keep us up!" Anna said.

Elsa gave a giggle and added, "Probably for the whole night." Both sisters laughed to this. They always ended up staying up really late tonight and actually sleeping late the next morning.

"Are you girls ready?" Iduna called after they had rested a couple of minutes. Both sisters got up with their eggnog in hand and made their way over to her. "Be sure to tell your dad all about the party. He was really sad he had to miss the last part of it. We had a bit of an issue to deal with but he did so just fine."

"Okay, mom," Elsa said as they followed.

"Good to see you two are still awake. This tree needs all of us working together," their dad greeted them once they entered the room. "How was the part of the party I missed?" he asked.

Elsa giggled as she said, "There was a snowman building contest to see who got the last dances with us."

"All of the boys got involved," Anna added making sure he understood all of them did.

"Really? Even Marius and Morten?" he asked for clarification in disbelief.

Elsa nodded. "Yep! Even them. Marius actually ended up probably having the most fun during the contest in the end. Morten complained a little at first but he too enjoyed it."

Their father chuckled to that. "Glad to hear it. I've always felt those boys needed to have a little more fun before they grow up and take over for their fathers."

"Nils got first and Leif got second. Nils really knows how to dance," Elsa said not stopping the smile she had at the recent memory.

"Leif wasn't too bad either. He probably would have been better if I actually stopped being so short," Anna said with a pout that caused the others to snicker a little before Elsa gave her a hug and assured her she wouldn't always be short. The family then continued decorating their tree as Christmas music played on a radio in the room.

{-} {-} {-}

It was finally Christmas Eve and both sisters were really excited about tomorrow. They had spent most of the day either playing in the snow outside or watching Christmas movies and specials. They had a good meal that day and attended Christmas Eve Service at the Church near the palace.

After the service, their diver took the family on a Christmas light tour of the city. Elsa and Anna loved this part like they always did. When they came home, they found all of their presents underneath the Christmas tree waiting to be opened tomorrow morning. The stockings were hung waiting to be filled tonight after the girls went to sleep. They would be sharing Anna's bed tonight. Anna had insisted on it.

Both Elsa and Anna couldn't help but smile warmly as their dad held one of his favorite books in his hand while they laid in Anna's bed for the night. Their mom was sitting in a chair at Anna's table next to their dad. The book's story was also one of the girls' favorites as well, even if it was for different reasons from their dad.

Their dad really loved the story The Night Before Christmas. He had quickly made it a habit of his to read the story to them every Christmas Eve. No matter what, both the King and Queen made time to read the story, or listen in the case of their mom. It was a family tradition.

Agnarr started this tradition with Elsa once she was born, even if she couldn't really understand it for a couple of years. This being the case, he had already made it a habit to read the story on the night before Christmas by the time Anna was born. Both daughters loved hearing their dad read the story.

The girls found the story a bit relaxing oddly enough. If it was any other year, the two sisters would have easily dived into wonderful dreams of Christmas. Elsa's would have most likely featured an incredibly happy Anna unwrapping presents and singing Christmas songs with her while both of them enjoyed a nice glass of Eggnog. Elsa would use her powers to give their Christmas drinks the perfect chill. Anna's dreams would have been something along the lines of getting a letter saying she would be attending school with Elsa effective immediately.

This year though, Elsa was having a little trouble sleeping. She felt guilty having to lie about her school to Anna. She also felt a little guilty that she couldn't look up to see who Nicolas Flamel was while Harry and Ron were probably spending a good amount of time doing so. She was also wondering if Harry would like her gift. She knew it would work in Hogwarts, but she was a little scared somehow it might not work. She did eventually fall sleep, but her dream was really odd. It showed a sad looking Harry staring out a Hogwarts window thinking it unfair she was having a good Christmas while he was stuck at the school. She had no idea Harry was actually having the best Christmas in his life ever.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Harry's Best Christmas Ever

"Wahhh!" Ron shouted as he shot up in his bed and looked around quickly while panting.

Harry looked over from the window he was gazing through to see what was up. He had actually slept pretty well for him. He was also glad he woke up early that morning. He looked out the window and watched as the sun rose above the Hogwarts' grounds covered in a freshly fallen snow. It was what people would call postcard pretty. Harry wished he had a camera so he could have taken a picture of it.

Ron was still catching his breath before he turned to Harry and asked, "Harry. Does Hermione have like a boyfriend or anything like that?"

Harry raised an eyebrow in question to Ron's inquiry. He was in a moment of thought and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't think so. Why did you want to know, Ron?"

Ron seemed to relax. "Oh, good it was just a dream then. A bad dream. Still a dream, even if it was actually a little funny."

"What did you dream?" Harry asked completely curious.

Ron shifted a little and cleared his throat. "Oh… it was just a dream… But I dreamed that Hermione was… well… dating Percy."

Harry blinked dumbly in confusion to that. "What?" he ended up asking after a moment. Why was Ron dreaming of something like that? There wasn't really anything going on between Hermione and Percy. He knew their friend looked up to Percy, but the two never really talked or anything. Truth be told Hermione talked more to the other Gryffindor first year girls than she did Percy, and she didn't really talk to them much at all.

"I know it sounds really weird, but it was a dream. It actually got scary and kind of funny. Hermione and Percy ended up married and had their own family. There was a gang of mini-Percys and mini-Hermiones running around shouting out random facts about magic and quoting Hogwarts: A History," Ron explained.

Harry stared in shock for a moment before he couldn't help but laugh out loud to that. "That's quite the dream."

"It got funny but eventually it got scary. My dream self actually thought, 'this could actually happen'. That would be a bloody nightmare if it did…" Ron said as he finally calmed down.

"I don't get why you thought it possible. I mean Hermione spends pretty much all of her free time with us, or Elsa," Harry said.

"But she really loves studying and does that a whole lot. Percy also does," Ron said as he felt like he had to explain why his dream was a possibility.

"Still Hermione's a first year like us and Percy's a fifth year. Their like four years apart," Harry said.

"Hermione's only a little more than three years younger than him. She's 12 remember," Ron said.

"Oh yeah I do remember that. She talked about how she just missed the cut off date for the school year and had to wait a whole extra year after learning about magic," Harry said.

"Yeah and Percy's birthday is right around the end of the school year, so he's actually one of the young ones in his year," Ron said.

"So… breakfast?" the red-haired boy asked after a minute of silence. Harry gave a laugh and nodded as they quickly got ready and went for breakfast.

{-} {-} {-}

Harry had to admit it had only been a couple of days since everyone left for Christmas, and this was already the best Christmas he had ever had. He knew it was because the Dursley's had never really given him a proper Christmas. They gave him gifts, but it was usually stuff that Dudley no longer needed or one time he got an old pair of Uncle Vernon's socks. Dudley always got lots of presents obviously, so Harry mostly watched Christmas happen.

This not even yet completed Holiday break was further proof to Harry that he really didn't want to return to the Dursleys. He also felt he belonged here better than he did with the Dursleys and that was even with people like Draco around. Harry hardly felt alone staying here in the castle. Ron and the twins had pretty much treated him like family this holiday break. Percy in a way also seemed to treat him like some kind of family, even if the oldest Weasley was that stickler old brother type that locked himself away most of the time.

"So… Are you planning on looking up Nicolas in the library today?" Ron asked making sure not to do so with his mouth full. He was getting better at manners thanks to Elsa and Hermione.

Harry replied with a shocked expression. "Are you serious?"

Ron nodded.

"You're actually wanting to go to the library to look through old books?" Harry asked still surprised.

Ron frowned to that. "Of course not! I just thought you might want to."

Harry shook his head. "I want to enjoy Holiday break a day or two more before we really focus on him."

Ron nodded to that. "Sounds good to me. It isn't like any of them will be looking him up over the holidays."

{-} {-} {-}

After breakfast, Harry once again got to join in on that old Winter tradition of a snowball fight. It was Harry and Ron vs. the twins. The twins ended up winning in the end because their years of pranking together allowed them to better coordinate their attacks. It was still a lot of fun.

Harry also built a snow man with the Weasleys minus Percy. Fred ended up enchanting the snowman to dance for them. Harry couldn't stop laughing and smiling at the show. When two more were added into the mix it quickly got out of hand and ended up with the dancing snowmen in a huge heap of snow. Ron and Harry cheered on the grand finale even if it was a mess. Fred and George laughed together and bowed to their adoring audience.

Once they had lunch, Harry and Ron did a little exploring of the castle. They didn't have any luck finding that talking door or the archive Elsa always manages to find, though Harry oddly enough knew they wouldn't for some reason. It was still nice to explore more of the castle without having to worry about running into Malfoy or his goons. The two Gryffindor boys remained occupied with their exploring until it was time for dinner.

They hadn't really found anything too interesting and they even tried Elsa's method of trying to read a room. It might have been more productive if Ron didn't get bored after just five minutes, which was probably a record of some sort now that Harry thought about it. Ron had to have something to actually focus on and even then, it was difficult for him after a while.

Dinner was wonderful as ever and Harry really loved how they could sit in the best chairs near the fire in the common room afterwards. It seemed to be only him and the Weasleys staying for Christmas in Gryffindor. When they were sitting near the fire playing games or talking, Percy would actually join them even if he mostly read a book. Surprisingly it was the twins that kind of tried to make sure their exploding snap wasn't too loud. That was until one of them, usually George, gave up on this and decided to make a really loud boom sound with the game. This usually resulted in Percy rolling his eyes and sometimes leaving the room.

{-} {-} {-}

"You know… I really don't see how we're going to find Nicolas Flamel…" Ron muttered as he closed yet another book with a sigh. "Hermione and Elsa are the research geniuses and neither of them have found him here in the library yet."

Harry sighed as he closed another book too. Ron did have a point. "I just wish we could get into the restricted Section. I bet we could find him in there." Ron nodded in agreement.

The two boys stretched before then deciding to call it a day and stop searching for now. "We've looked really hard these past couple of days. I say we don't search tomorrow or Christmas," Ron said.

Harry nodded to that. "I agree with that. It would be a shame to spend all of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day cooped up here in the library with just the two of us."

Ron gave a yawn as he stood up. "I'm starting to think Nicolas Flamel isn't even a person after all. Maybe he's Dumbledore's old pet or something."

"Somehow I doubt that's the case. If it was then Hagrid wouldn't have been so evasive when we asked," Harry said as he too stood up.

"Maybe Dumbledore's just really sentimental about it," Ron said jokingly as Harry laughed.

As they walked Harry hummed in thought and wondered aloud, "I wonder how Elsa's birthday went."

"Don't know. I bet she loved it just because she got to see her sister again," Ron answered. "Hopefully she'll tell us about it once she gets back. I've always wondered what muggle birthdays are like."

Harry shrugged. "I've never really had one before. Whenever Dudley had a party I was usually with the neighborhood crazy cat lady."

"Ouch… That's rough," Ron said with a wince of empathy.

"It wasn't always bad, but I get to stay in a large castle now. Dudley's never even seen one except for in pictures," Harry said.

Once they sat down and started dinner, Ron looked over to the empty Ravenclaw table. "I wonder what they do at those slumber parties. Do you have any idea?" he asked.

Harry was in thought for a moment. He had seen tv shows with slumber parties and heard things from others. "I'm not sure really. I've heard girls usually play games like Truth or Dare though."

"What's that?" Ron asked.

"It's a party game. Someone's name is called out by someone else and they have to answer if they want to say a truth or take a dare. When they choose Truth, they're supposed to answer whatever question their asked truthfully. If they select Dare, they have to do whatever their dared to do. It could be anything really. After that the person who gave a truth or did a dare gets to pick someone else to ask them 'Truth or Dare?'. So, it's kind of like you could go really crazy with the dare, but you could be asked to do an even crazier dare later or have to admit a very embarrassing truth," Harry tired his best to explain.

"Huh… That actually does sound kind of fun. I mean clearly you would need a good-sized group for it to be any fun, but it sounds interesting," Ron admitted.

"Yes, it does, but it's usually girls who play it. I guess older kids in groups of guys and girls play it too, but I don't know," Harry said.

"That sounds even more fun, but probably is really scary too. I don't know how good Hermione would be at it though. Elsa is probably an expert at it by now with how often the Ravenclaw girls have sleepover parties, but Hermione would probably dare you to read a book. More specifically Hogwarts: A History," Ron said as the two shared a laugh.

Harry then chuckled, "Or she'd dare you to revise your homework seven times."

Harry and Ron laughed even louder and gained the twins interest as they entered the dining hall. "Say Fred," George started.

"Yes, George. I mean wait a minute you're Fred and I'm George," Fred answered.

"That's besides the point. What do you think's got the two of them in such a jolly mood, George?" George asked loud enough to get Harry and Ron's attention.

"We were just guessing what it is the Ravenclaw girls usually get up to at their parties. We decided that Hermione would dare people to write an extra 12 inches of parchment on their essays," Ron answered.

"Oh?! So, you've finally heard of that infamous game known as Truth or Dare?" Fred said.

"Our little Ronnie's growing up so fast, George… Mum would be all teary eyed," George replied.

Ron just gave them a frown as the two laughed loudly. "In all seriousness, though… I've heard things about Girl slumber parties," Fred said as he sat down next to Ron and George sat next to Harry.

"Things that'd turn your ears just as red as your hair, little bro. They are a very interesting and dangerous rabbit hole to travel down," George said.

"You think Elsa would tell us?" Ron asked.

"Has she yet?" Fred asked. Ron shook his head. "Then I doubt it. Most girls get a kick out of letting imaginations fill in the blanks."

"You already asked her before Ron, and she pretty much said, 'Wouldn't you like to know'. Don't you remember?" Harry said.

"Yeah… I was just hoping if we asked her again she might tell us," Ron said.

"Oy George. Get a load of this. Ron seems to think he can brow beat an answer out of the Ravenclaw Princess… Are you sure you aren't Fred? I could have sworn I was George," George asked.

Fred hummed in thought for a moment. "Now that I think about it, you are George after all and I guess that means I'm Fred." Fred's eyes then widened comically as he said, "Unless I'm Percy?!" he said in a panicking voice.

"Quick, Fred! Make sure you don't have a Pinhead badge I mean Prefect badge," George said with matching concern in his voice.

Fred then patted himself down quickly and sighed in relief. "Oh, good I don't have one. He's got one though," Fred said as Percy sat down across from them and Harry and Ron laughed.

"Yes. Yes. Very funny…" Percy said with an eye roll.

"Well thank you very much, Percy! I wasn't sure if we were funny or not," George said.

Fred nodded sagely as he said, "If the Prefect says it then it must be so." Percy could barely hide a snicker as he shook his head and started to eat.

{-} {-} {-}

Harry actually found himself almost tempted to head to the library and look up Nicolas Flamel more on Christmas Eve. For the first time that he could remember, he was actually looking forward to Christmas Day. He wanted to see what a Hogwarts Christmas Feast was like and he was a little hopeful that he might actually have some presents this year. He was happy that he could even dream that was a possibility. At the same time, Harry was now starting to realize what those other kids had meant when they talked about how Christmas Eve seemed to always really drag out.

Harry, Ron, Fred and George all did have a big snowball fight again that day, but this time Fred and George weren't allowed to be on the same team the whole time. Harry also enjoyed building snowmen with the Weasleys again. He never really did that before this holiday break. Sure, there had been some chances, but as soon as he started the very first steps of making a snowman someone, usually Dudley, would ruin it. This holiday break however, Harry had made lots of snowmen and he was proud of them. He wasn't anywhere near the level of creativity the twins were. They worked fast and well together. The red-haired duo loved making funny scenes with their snowmen.

One of the snowmen they made had crashed into a pile of snow while riding a broom. They made another one that featured multiple snowmen all posing for a picture and trying to give the others bunny ears or antlers while one took a picture with a snow camera. They even made one that they called "Percy's Dream". This one showed several snowmen saluting one that was clearly Percy who was wearing a hat which said "Head PinHead of Hogwarts". The last one Harry saw was a rather unflattering but funny depiction of Professor Snape having an "accident" with Draco under a mistletoe tree. It was truly amazing what you could do with magic at times and a little scary.

Harry and Ron were sitting around the fire in the common room after dinner when Harry groaned. Ron looked to him with an eyebrow raised in question. Harry sighed. "Does Christmas Eve usually take this long?" he asked.

Ron couldn't help but laugh. "Kind of," he said. Ron then grew a serious expression as he said, "But even now none of them compare to the Weasley Christmas Eve of '86." The twins who were sitting nearby shuttered at those words and it sounded as if Percy had knocked over something in his room with the door open.

"Don't mention that Harrowing year again, Ron!" Fred said in genuine horror.

Harry couldn't help but ask, "What happened?"

George shuddered again. "Ginny had a bout of accidental magic when she got a hold of the Time turner Dad was borrowing from the Ministry. Time Turners do exactly what they say. They turn time. The ministry keeps them under very strict guard, but dad got permission because of something he was doing as a favor to one of the big wigs at the ministry."

Harry wasn't sure what all this meant. Ron sighed. "Ginny had a bout of accidental magic on Christmas Eve and it caused one hour to stretch out into five hours. It took about half a day in real time for things to be fixed. We were stuck inside the time turner's loop that whole time."

Harry's green eyes widen in horror. "I'm sorry I brought up such a horrible memory…"

Ron and the twins were silent for a moment before shuddering one last time and saying in unison, "Don't mention it… really… Don't." Harry just nodded in reply. He didn't need to know how many hours 12 in real time equaled in their time loop to understand it was really bad.

"I wonder what the Hogwarts feast will be like tomorrow," Harry said after a moment of silence in hopes of changing the topic.

"It depends really. Each year is different," Percy said from the stairs looking very pale. It was obvious the mere mention of the '86 incident was enough to get him to decide on actually spending time with his brothers.

"Last Year we had a couple of suits of armor dressed as Santa Claus and enchanted snowflakes falling form the ceiling laced in a very low intensity cheering charm," Fred remembered fondly.

George nodded. "It was a homage to the Felix and the Christmas Cheer story!"

"What's that story?" Harry asked. Percy smiled fondly as he retold what was actually his favorite Christmas Story. Harry thought it was really cool and interesting there were Wizarding Christmas stories.

The rest of the time until they finally went to bed the Weasleys shared wizarding Christmas Stories with Harry. They all enjoyed it and Percy seemed to be in a very incredibly cheerful mood because he didn't even try to force George into telling a 'kid friendly' verison of the Christmas Love Punch story. George still didn't get too graphic, but it was about a potion master who heard a few muggle Christmas love stories and decided that was what the holiday needed more of one year at a Christmas party. Harry was still pretty sure George took a little too much joy in telling the story.

Ron told a story about Dumbledore called the Magical Christmas Robes. Harry found it extra interesting since it was about their Headmaster. The story took place when Dumbledore was younger. The headmaster was always a little odd even by wizarding standards, but he was far more brilliant.

In the story Dumbledore wore a set of robes that weren't just colorful, which he usually wore, but also enchanted in a special way. The young Albus Dumbledore was invited to a holiday party and he knew the people at this event would be too busy playing politics or being extra gloomy for whatever reason. Dumbledore decided he would fix that.

He found a way to enchant his robes to show every person the color that they individually found comforting and brought them actual happiness. He didn't even need to know what these colors were and he knew many times the colors which brought out such feelings in people weren't even necessarily their favorite colors. The story had Dumbledore solving a lot of people's problems and it was one of the many reasons he later became so very well-known and respected by witches and wizards.

"It's said the reason why Dumbledore never did such a thing again is because he knew the magic wouldn't work ever again. People started to try and study the magic he used, but that was the reason why it was never repeated by anyone. Discovering the secret behind the magic made the power of the magic mute," Ron finished with a smile.

Percy nodded to that from where he was sitting. "There is actually a theory about such things. There are some magics that will work only once and never again no matter what. Professor Dumbledore really is in a league of his own." No one bothered to try and argue that or rebut what Percy said, even the twins just sat there nodding in agreement.

Percy then gave a yawn as he stood up and said, "Well then… I think I'll head to bed. Good night! Merry Christmas!" He then disappeared up the stairs after everyone returned his holiday greetings.

Harry and Ron both gave yawns as well. "For once. I think I agree with Percy," Harry said earning a tired chuckle and yawn as his friend slowly got up as well. Harry couldn't help but smile a little as he said, "Happy Christmas to all and to all a goodnight."

{-} {-} {-}

Harry was really surprised when he managed to go to sleep fairly quickly that night. He actually enjoyed his dream. In the dream, he was having Christmas with everyone somewhere. They were all having a jolly good time and he knew this is what Christmas was supposed to be like.

"What are you thinking, Harry?" Dream Elsa asked him with a voice that sounded exceptionally sweet and wonderful to his ears while she smiled.

Harry felt himself smile as he answered Dream Elsa's question. "I was just thinking about how this is the best Christmas I've ever had is all. Everyone is here. Anna will be joining us shortly. And most importantly you're here. It's wonderful!"

Dream Elsa gave one of her musical giggles as she said, "Then I hope all of our future Christmases will make this one seem rather mundane by comparison. That way you will always have a wonderful Christmas every year."

The dream version of Harry, who seemed to only be a million times cooler than he actually was, gave an easy-going chuckle and spoke to Elsa. "Something tells me you'll be a very important key in making that goal a reality."

Dream Elsa gave a blush as she smiled and said, "You know some girls might take that as a confession, Harry."

Harry felt himself panic a little as his heart beat faster, but Dream Harry only smiled as he smoothly asked, "And what do you take it as, Elsa?" Dream Harry was giving her a smirk that seemed to cause her to blush a little more.

She then giggled and said, "I think I'll leave that as a mystery for now, Harry."

Dream Ron then ruined the moment by shouting, "Hey Harry check out this gift Neville got me! It's awesome!"

Dream Harry didn't seem to mind the interruption as he happily came over to see the gift Ron was talking about. The dream then faded away and Harry slowly opened his eyes to the sunlight shining through the dorm room window right across from him.

Harry was still a little sleepy but as he slowly continued to wake up the first thing he actually noticed was that Ron got up before him. That never happened. "Merry Christmas, Harry," Ron said as he gave a stretch after entering from the restroom. "I was about to wake you up," Ron said.

Harry's eyes widened and he was fully awake as he tossed on a bath robe and looked to the foot of his bed. "Would you look at that! I got presents," Harry said in surprise.

Ron gave a half-hidden chuckle. "Well it is Christmas and you aren't with the Dursleys anymore." Harry couldn't help but smile and nod to that as he grabbed a present close to him.

He opened his first present and smiled. It was a box full of Hagrid's Rock Cakes and a wooden flute. Harry could tell Hagrid made the flute himself. He gave a test note of it. It might have sounded a bit like an owl, but Harry was convinced he could get better at it.

Harry picked up another parcel which was very small and contained a note. The note was written in a way that was very reminiscent of some shady business transaction.

 _We received your note and enclosed your Christmas present. From Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia_.

A fifty pence piece was taped to the back of the note.

"Speaking of the Dursleys…" Harry said as he gave a slight chuckle. He held up the coin so Ron could see it. He expected many reactions from Ron, but they weren't the reaction he got.

Ron looked at the coin rather curiously. "How odd looking…" Ron said in what might be close to an intrigued manner. He looked at the coin's shape and the engraving on it.

Harry smiled and said, "You can keep it." Ron nodded as he looked at it longer before getting back to his large pile of presents.

The black-haired boy then took a bite of one of Hagrid's rock cakes. Ever since Hagrid got his oven fixed his cooking had improved remarkably. Harry could now taste the genius in his large friend's cooking. This tasted like someone who knew how to experiment with tastes properly.

The next two presents Harry opened were boxes of Chocolate frogs one from Neville and one from Ron. Ron then gave a chuckle from next to Harry as he held the box of Chocolate Frogs Harry got him. "This right here is proof we're mates for life. Great minds think alike and all of that," Ron chuckled as Harry did the same.

"You think we'll have enough to cover the Elsa Chocolate tax?" Harry asked jokingly.

"Not sure. Maybe we should be sure to finish them before next term starts or call it a laborer's fee. You know since we're actually looking up Nicolas Flamel," Ron suggested as both of them laughed.

Ron looked over Harry's remaining warped presents and swallowed nervously. "Oh no…"

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"I know who sent you that present," he answered as he pointed to it. Harry picked it up. It was a rather lumpy package. "Mum's sent you a Weasley family sweater," Ron said with a groan.

Harry quickly unwrapped it and smiled. It was a hand knit sweater which was dark green in color. He liked it a lot already. He'd never had clothing actually meant for him and not just oversized cast-offs of Dudley's. "It's nice," Harry said as he put it on in place of his bath robe.

Ron sighed. "Mum always makes one of each of us every Christmas. Mine's always Maroon…" Ron said as he held up his own Weasley sweater. "I'm not ungrateful… I just wish she'd give me some variety. I mean come on… She knows Chudley Cannon orange is my favorite color and the best color ever." Ron said as he put on the sweater regardless and seemed to actual like how it fit.

"What else have to gotten so far?" Ron asked as he went back to his present pile again with a chocolate frog to munch on.

"Chocolate frogs from you and Neville. The Dursley's gift and Hagird's rock cakes and a wooden flute," Harry listed.

"Those rock cakes are good. Hagrid gave me some too," Ron said as he seemed to be hunting Neville's present to him hoping to also get another box of chocolate frogs.

Harry then picked up another present. This one was from Hermione. He could tell it was a book of some kind right away. He was about to unwrap it, but saw there was a note on top of it.

 _Open Elsa's Present first._

The note read in Hermione's tidy handwriting.

Harry gave a hum in thought and moved on to Elsa's present. The package was a decent size and wrapped in bright red paper with a green bow. Harry opened it up and his eyes widened in shock. He stared at it for a moment. It was a magic camera inside its own box. It had lettering that said it would work in the muggle and magical world including Hogwarts.

He carefully looked it over some more after opening the camera's box. It looked a lot like a 60's 35mm camera, with minor differences that hinted at it being magical, but not enough to raise a muggle eyebrow at. The camera's logo read "Mercer Line". Harry wasn't sure what to do with the camera. He liked how it looked and was really thankful for it especially since he had been thinking about how nice it would be to take pictures of the Hogwarts' grounds. At the same time, he was a little afraid to pick it up and try and use it. He feared he might break it, even though the box boasted an unbreakable charm was used for its construction.

Harry noticed under the camera box there was what looked like an album. He picked it up and looked through it. The album was empty and there was a note with it talking about having a still life mode, which meant the pictures would freeze and look like normal non-magical photos. He didn't know anything about photography though he now had a hunch what Hermione's gift was.

He smiled as he unwrapped Hermione's gift and discovered he was right. She had given him a book on Wizarding Photography. Sure, the surprise factor was a little ruined now, but he would have been completely confused had he opened this gift first. Harry started to skim through the book and looked at the table of contents. He was actually interested in reading this book.

"Woah!" Ron said loudly in surprise from where he was opening gifts. He then held up a small envelope and grinned widely. "Check this out, Harry!" Ron then showed him the envelope. "Elsa got me tickets to a Chudley Cannons game during Easter Break! I can't believe she got such tickets," Ron said in awe as he smiled.

Harry could believe it. Elsa was clearly from a family that had money. There was also the fact the Chudley Cannons were one of those teams that was always "in a rebuilding year" and "showing great promise for next season". Their tickets probably weren't exactly hard to get a hold of even with the very loyal fans.

It was actually impressive how loyal their fans were. In fact, it was so impressive that there was an investigation into the refreshment stands making sure they weren't spiking the food and drink with modified low-level love potions or their merchandise enchanted with compulsion charms. Luckily the investigation turned up negative on both accounts.

Harry might have spent more time on the gifts from Elsa and Hermione, but Ron got his attention. "Hey, Harry. You still have one more gift," he said.

Harry was surprised to hear that. He had already had more presents than he had ever had in his entire life. He was surprised there was still one more. He wasn't sure how it would top the camera and the book, but he was sure it would still be nice, though he didn't have any idea who else would send him a gift. Professor McGonagall didn't seem like the type to give students gifts and there was no way the Headmaster would have the time for such a thing.

The last package was very light. Harry unwrapped it while Ron watched. Something silky and silvery fell from it. "Wow… I've heard of those… If its what I think it is, they are very rare and expensive."

"What do you think it is?" Harry asked.

"An invisibility cloak," Ron said in awe. He then pointed as he said, "A note fell out from it."

Harry saw the note and picked it up.

 _Your father left this in my care before he died. It is time it was passed on to you. Use it well._

There wasn't a signature on the note and the handwriting was very loopy and elegant. It also seemed vaguely familiar to Harry, but he couldn't place where he had seen it before. "The note says it belonged to my father," Harry said unsure how to respond to this revelation.

Ron was silent for a moment letting Harry soak in this information, but he wasn't really known for his patience. "Well. Try it on. See if it really is an invisibility cloak," Ron said causing Harry to snap out of his moment of reflection.

Harry gave a nod and put the cloak on. It easily fit over him. He felt it could cover three or four people maybe even five if they really crammed inside it. The cloak also felt really smooth and soft on him. Harry then looked up to see a wide-eyed Ron staring in disbelief with his mouth hanging open.

"Wow… It really is…" Ron said.

Harry was a bit confused. He could see the cloak shimmering in the light in front of him. "Is it really?" Harry asked. "I can't really tell from here." He was wondering if they were called invisibility cloaks because others couldn't see you were wearing it.

Ron finally managed to close his mouth and look around the room. "Look for yourself," he said as he pointed to a mirror on the wall.

Harry walked over and was momentarily horrified when he only saw his head floating there in the air without a body attached. He opened the cloak and saw the rest of his body. He stared for a while at that because it was really odd seeing part of his body and then all of the room behind him. It was even weirder when he closed the cloak again. Ron was standing behind him so the mirror made it look as if Ron had a Harry head growing out of him.

"Wicked…" was Ron's response to it.

"Wicked…" Harry replied. There really wasn't any other word to describe it that he could think of at the moment.

"This has been the best Christmas ever," Ron said. Harry could tell his friend liked seeing his gifts just as much as unwrapping his own presents. "Any idea who sent it to you?" Ron asked.

Harry shook his head. "The note didn't have a name. It just said it was my father's and to use it well."

Ron gave a laugh. "I'm sure we'll think of several ways to use it well, mate."

Harry gave a grin. "I already have one in mind, but that will be tonight."

"What are you thinking of?" Ron asked.

"The library," Harry said. "I can stay there late looking for Nicolas Flamel and not have to waste the day doing the same earlier." Ron nodded in approval of this plan.

"Let's get going. I'm betting the twins and Percy are waiting for us in the Common room to go for breakfast," Ron said. Harry followed him out after putting the invisibility cloak away in his trunk.

{-} {-} {-}

The twins entered the common room shortly after Harry and Ron did. "Fred look!" George shouted.

"I see… Harry's got a Weasley sweater!" Fred replied. Fred then examined it and said, "Harry's is better condition than ours. Guess mom makes more of an effort if you aren't family."

"Ron's wearing his as well," George replied as he smirked and said, "His is maroon again." Ron frowned to this.

"He hasn't got a letter on his," Fred said.

Both of the twins had blue sweaters one had a large yellow "F" and the other a large yellow "G" on the front.

"Guess she figures he won't forget his name," George said.

"We're not stupid though. We know we're Gred and Forge," the twins said in unison with laughs.

Percy then yawned as he came down stairs with a couple of packages of his own. "What are you two going on about so loudly down here?" he asked.

"We've all got Weasley sweaters! Even Harry," Fred said very loudly.

"Go on get yours on, Percy," George said. "I see it has a letter 'P' for Prefect."

Percy frowned. "I really don't think so…" he said warily. Before he could escape back to his room, the twins managed to wrestle him to the ground and force him to wear his.

"Also… You're eating with us today, Percy. No question," Fred said as he and George led the way to the dining hall for breakfast.

{-} {-} {-}

The rest of the Christmas Day was fun but busy oddly enough. Harry and the others, including Percy, had a snowball fight. Harry and Ron built a snow fort only for the twins to destroy it and start a new snowball fight that lasted until lunch.

After a light lunch Harry and Ron relaxed in the common room until it was time for the Christmas feast. When they entered the dining hall, Harry couldn't believe his eyes. The Christmas Hogwarts feast was smaller in amounts of food since there weren't many staying the holidays, but it seemed even grander somehow.

There were pheasants, turkeys and roasts along with all manner of puddings. There were plums and cranberry sauce. There were pitchers of Wassail, Pumpkin juice, and even hot chocolate. There were different kinds of potatoes and rolls. It was probably as amazing as, if not more so, than the opening feast.

Once the feast was over, Harry and Ron each took a glass of Hot cocoa back to the common room and sat by the fire. George managed to find a wizarding wireless, which was their version of the radio, from somewhere and it was playing traditional Christmas music. Harry was kind of relieved the wizarding Christmas classics weren't really that different from the muggle ones. The mood was so relaxing and pleasant that Harry almost forgot to go to the library. He made an excuse of having ate too much food and going to lay down before heading upstairs and slipping the cloak on.

Wondering around the castle to the main part of the library was actually pretty easy. The truth was it still wasn't after curfew so he could have just walked there on his own, but that didn't feel right to him. He entered the library without Madam Pence noticing. She seemed to be enjoying some eggnog that was "heavy on the nog".

Harry was careful to find a place away from Madam Pence and he only took one book at a time in case she decided to wonder the library or something. Harry looked through three books before Madam Pence left. He then looked through two more books before he started to drift off.

{-} {-} {-}

Harry snapped awake a couple of hours later and panicked a little as he looked around the room. He had forgotten where he fell asleep. He was deeply relieved that no one seemed to have been around to patrol the library tonight yet. Harry thought he might have heard steps far off down the hall so he quickly got up and returned the book he was reading before heading back to Gryffindor Tower.

"You're back already?" a sleepy Ron asked when Harry entered the dorm room.

"Yeah… I didn't have any luck and I was a lot more tired than I thought I would be. It seems my excuse actually turned out to be true. I actually slept for a couple of hours there," Harry admitted as he put the cloak away.

"You're lucky you didn't get caught," Ron said. Harry nodded to this before laying down. He needed a much better plan for next time. He decided he might as well try the restricted section since they weren't having any luck in the regular library.

"Merry Christmas, Ron. Goodnight," Harry said almost yawning.

"Ba-ba-back at you, Harry," Ron said while yawning and drifting off to sleep himself. Both boys had dreams of the Christmas they just enjoyed.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: The Magic Mirror

Harry gave a stretch as he woke up from a nap. He wasn't usually one for naps, but he took a light one in preparation for tonight. He was going out again using his new cloak except this time he was going to venture into the restricted section of the library. He was thinking that maybe he could find out something about the mystery man Nicolas Flamel there. He didn't have any luck last night in the parts of the library he checked. It didn't help that he fell asleep and was probably only saved from discovery because he was wearing the cloak the whole time.

He managed to wake up from his nap in time for dinner with everyone else who was still at the school. There were a few, but nowhere near as many as usual. It was too bad that more than half their group of friends were gone he thought. During the holiday break, they didn't have to worry about sitting at their house table at any meals. Harry would however admit it was entertaining sharing meals with Ron and his brothers. Percy didn't always sit with them, but the twins usually did even if they ate at a slightly different time.

Once their meal was over with Fred and George singing rather unorthodox versions of Christmas Carols, Ron and Harry were alone and Ron asked, "So are you going out again tonight?"

Harry nodded. "I'm going to try the restricted section. If it works out well enough then next time we can both go. Rather not risk both of us getting in trouble this time."

"Restricted section would probably actually be cool. There might actually be books worth reading there outside of class," Ron said in thought. He then frowned, "We might want to keep that to ourselves though. I mean Elsa probably wouldn't be a problem, but Hermione would commandeer your cloak until she had read every book in the restricted section at least twice." The two then laughed because it was both funny and very likely true.

They sat around enjoying most of the evening with the other Weasleys. It wasn't until sometime later the twins went to bed followed shortly by Percy once he marked his place in the book he was reading. "Don't stay up too late you two," he warned before going up the stairs.

They waited a few minutes for the others to actually go to bed and then Harry pulled out his new cloak and left through the portrait. Ron made his way up the stairs a little louder than usual, but not too loud, before opening and slamming the door shut to their room.

Harry once again wandered the halls to the library and sneaked inside again. It was a little more difficult this time since he was out past curfew. He made his way to the restricted section carefully in case there were any traps. Fortunately, it didn't seem like there were any. He was wondering if maybe the professors didn't feel the need to setup booby traps or anything for protection. He was there for maybe a minute looking at all of the titles when he heard footsteps and a voice say, "In the library Restricted section you say, Mrs. Norris?" it was Filch and Harry wondered how it was the cat seemed to know where he was. Maybe the cloak didn't work on animals?

Harry looked over to the entrance and quickly backed into a dark corner while the light of a lantern filled the area. Filch looked all around carefully and slowly even though Mrs. Norris almost seemed to be staring at the corner where Harry was hiding. Filch looked there to for a little longer but saw and heard nothing while Harry held his breath.

"They must have left," the cantankerous caretaker said before leaving the area and once again looking back as if he was hoping to catch someone jumping out of the shadows. He then scoffed and made his way out of the library. Harry only relaxed when several minutes passed and he was sure Filch had moved on.

He walked up and down the aisles trying to decide which book to start with on his search. He looked at a few titles. One of the books was titled, Moste Potente Potions. There was another one titled Darkness: The Evilest Spells and How to Recognize Them. Harry wondered why that one was here, it sounded like something everyone should read eventually. " _Perhaps it is too detailed?_ " he thought to himself. Another title he saw was The Magics of Lust and Romance. Harry thought it obvious why that one was here.

There were several other books as well and some with titles that actually caused him to grimace. He finally decided he would just have to pick one and hope for the best. There wasn't a book titled Hey You! Learn all about Nicolas Flamel and All his Deeds Dark or Otherwise to give him a clue on where to start. Harry picked up a black book titled Horrific Transformations and their Treatments or Cures.

The second Harry opened the book it started shrieking at him really loud. Harry tried to shut it back up, but it kept shrieking. Harry then quickly pulled his cloak back up and ran for it. He didn't want to get caught. As soon as he rounded the corner he heard Filch's voice shout, "I'll get you this time you miserable little trouble maker!"

Harry ran a little further until he saw another light at the end of the hall in front of him. Harry quickly slipped into a door he closed and locked quietly behind him. He listened to make sure no one was coming towards the room. No one did. He relaxed and decided to just wait a while yet again. No doubt they would be searching the halls and he figured if they decided to check the room he would have the warning of the locked door to let him know to be careful.

After several minutes passed and it seemed no one was coming, Harry decided to look around the room. It was your regular empty classroom, except for the partially covered mirror in the center covered in moonlight. Harry walked over to the mirror and read what looked like an inscription. "Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi. What does that mean?" Harry asked himself before pulling back the cover and looking at it properly.

When Harry looked into the mirror, he gasped. He looked around the room again to make sure there wasn't anyone else there. He looked at the mirror again.

Inside the mirror, Harry saw lots of people standing behind him. They were of all ages with many different looks and clothing styles. He also noticed several had green eyes like him.

"Who are you?" he asked. The people in the mirror just smiled at him some with tears in their eyes and others with pride. "Are you trapped inside?" He asked. They shook their heads and just kept looking. He noticed two figures come up behind him. One was a man who looked just like him except about ten years older and with hazel eyes. The other was a beautiful woman with red hair and green eyes just like his.

Harry's heart skipped a beat. "It couldn't be. Could it?" he asked as the man and woman seemed to squeeze his shoulders. Harry placed a hand that would have been on top of the woman's to see if maybe something was there. He felt nothing but air despite his reflection showing his hand clearly on top of her hand.

"Are you my family?" he asked hopefully. The people nodded and he saw tears of happiness and sadness fill his parents' eyes. The reflection even showed his eyes filled with tears as well. Harry gave a sniff and blinked thus proving his tears were real.

Harry spent at least a couple of hours there looking at his reflection in the mirror. He wanted to take in all of the faces he could. All of the smiling and happy faces around him. He felt both happy and sad at the same time. He was happy to have faces to match the names of his parents. He was sad because he would never get to seem these smiling happy faces alive and well.

Harry looked down and wished he had pictures of his parents or of anything really. It would have made things easier especially when he has to return to the Dursleys this summer. His eyes filled with tears again as he thought of the present Elsa gave him for Christmas. Now that he thought about it, that camera and empty photo album might end up being even more of a precious gift than he thought. It would be second only to the cloak.

Harry quickly stood up not bothering to look at the mirror anymore. He couldn't take it any longer he needed a break. He'd have to return another night. He still had time before he would probably fall asleep, but he would start reading that book Hermione got him about wizarding photography. He had a new goal for this year. He would start taking photos of everything he could so he wouldn't forget this year or his friends and think it all but a dream. Had Harry looked at the mirror just then he would have seen his friends standing next to him with his family and possibly realized what it was the mirror really showed.

{-} {-} {-}

Harry made it back to the dorm room without any issue. The fat lady was sleepy so she just opened for him without any complaint. Harry sat in his bed reading the book for an hour before he fell asleep.

The next day after breakfast Harry was again reading the photography book and took a couple of practice shots with his camera. He then pointed his wand at it and said, " _Pictorous Developious_ " and the practice shots seemed to appear out of a tiny slit in the camera's base.

Harry grinned at the shots. He'd never really had his own camera before and assumed it would be a hassle to get the pictures out of it. However, wizarding cameras were different, this one especially. It was a more advanced model that was created by a muggleborn who thought wizarding cameras were too old fashioned and smoky. Harry wondered why more people weren't using this camera, but he figured it was probably that wizard cameras lasted a while and were already expensive to replace. There was probably also a certain level of nostalgia with photographers and their cameras as well, even in the wizarding world.

The book was also more interesting than he thought it would be at first too. Harry learned that you could use a muggle camera, preferably a mechanical one so it worked best, and just use a special potion to get the same moving picture effect wizarding cameras produced. There were also some people who bought enchanted muggle cameras that worked in a similar fashion as well.

"You really like that camera, don't you?" Ron asked.

Harry nodded. "Last night I got to thinking about how much I wish had pictures of my parents," Harry said. He had naturally told Ron all about the mirror first thing after they woke up that morning. "Then I realized how much these pictures will mean to me when I'm with the Dursleys over the summer. Fortunately, that album Elsa also got me has a muggle mode to it, so it shouldn't cause problems with my Aunt and Uncle if I keep it too myself."

"Well then.." started one voice.

"Why don't you…" continued a second similar voice.

"Take a picture now!" the twins finished together as they smushed Ron between them and wore the cheekiest grins they could muster. Harry quickly took a picture and then laughed as Ron frowned at the twins for their little stunt.

"Harry, do be sure not to get too carried away with taking pictures once everyone gets back. It should go without saying, but not everyone wants their picture taken and the smoke can really get to people… Wait a minute… There wasn't a loud flash or smoke… How is that possible?" Percy asked forgetting he was lecturing Harry half way through his lecture. The older Weasley brother then started looking at the camera curiously.

"Elsa got me a Mercer Line Camera. The founder of the company wanted to make a better magical camera," Harry explained. "It also uses a spell to develop pictures." Harry then demonstrated by saying the spell again, " _Pictorous Developious_!" The picture of Ron and the twins printed out and the twins in the picture smiled at the camera and then at each other before they laughed at an upset Ron in the middle.

"Fascinating!" Percy said. "Yes… Maybe he used the Enchanting Principles of…." The others started to drown out what Percy was saying while the twins and Ron asked Harry to take more pictures.

Harry did so and was happy to do so. He even was pleasantly surprised to discover that George was a bit of an amateur photographer himself. He laughed when Fred told them about how the two of them would stage photos when they were younger that looked like magic. One photo included a picture of Fred and a really young Ginny having a tea party inside what appeared to be an old Fire Whiskey bottle. Bill was in it as well putting the cap back onto the bottle pretending he was about to take it and them with him somewhere.

The next couple of days were a lot fun. Harry took pictures of several things and Ron joined him as well. Harry showed him how the camera worked and the spell and so Ron took a few pictures too. One of the pictures was in the Owlery with Hedwig perched on Harry's shoulder.

{-} {-} {-}

Ron gave a satisfied moan as he patted his belly while they sat around the fire in the common room after dinner that night. Percy was in the library looking through books about different enchantments Harry's camera might be using. Harry offered to let him borrow the book Hermione got him, but Percy declined saying half the fun was figuring out things from the ground up. The twins were doing whatever it was the twins usually did, most likely planning a welcome back prank for all of the returning students.

"So what are we going to do about Nicolas Flamel now?" Ron asked.

"Well I think we've kind of exhausted the library," Harry said in thought.

"Especially since the restricted section is out of the picture now," Ron added with a frown. He was really looking forward to him and Harry sneaking into it tonight to look at all of those undoubtedly actually interesting books it had. Plus, the adventure of sneaking around the castle would have been nice too.

Harry nodded but then gave a grin. "However," Harry started causing Ron to look at him questioningly. "We're going out tonight with the cloak. It can easily hide us both if we're careful."

"The Mirror?" Ron asked with a smile spreading across his face. It would be cool to see this mirror. He wanted to see his best mate's family too. Plus, again, the adventure of sneaking through the castle sounded really cool. Harry nodded enthusiastically to him in response.

{-} {-} {-}

The door to the mirror's room closed and two boys appeared seemingly out of thin air. "That was bloody brilliant!" Ron said with a cheer. Sneaking though the castle with the cloak was both fun and easy.

"Yes, it was. This is the mirror I was talking about. No idea what that inscription means though," Harry said as he looked at the mirror again and saw his family there once more.

Ron read the inscription aloud and couldn't really make heads or tails of it either. He then looked at the mirror and frowned.

"Look see! It's my family! These are my parents," Harry said as he pointed to where his parents were smiling in the mirror.

Ron's frowned deepened. "I don't see anything apart from us." Harry looked at the mirror in confusion. He didn't understand how Ron couldn't see everyone standing there smiling and waving.

Harry then looked and nodded to himself. "That's because you have to stand in the center." Harry then pulled Ron closer and looked. "See them all now?"

"No," Ron said with a wide grin. "But look at me!"

"What do you mean?" Harry asked. All he saw was him and his family along with Ron.

"I'm bloody awesome!" Ron said. He then turned to Harry and asked, "Can't you see?"

Harry shook his head in confusion. "What do you see, Ron?"

"It's me except older. I'm captain on the Quidditch team and Head Boy! I'm even holding the Quidditch cup trophy!" Ron said not hiding his excitement.

"Hmmm…." Harry said as he stood to the side in thought. "It doesn't make sense." Ron was now flexing and posing in front of the mirror. Harry would have laughed if he wasn't too busy trying to understand the mirror.

"Let me look again," Harry said as he was about to stand in the center as well.

Ron frowned at him. "No I won't. You had it all to yourself last time!"

Harry gave a serious face as he said, "Ron just let me look again real quick."

"Like I said you had it all to yourself last time," Ron said a bit irritated this time.

"I'm serious, Ron. Let me look again!" Harry said angrier than he actually was.

"NO!" Ron replied stubbornly.

The two boys actually tussled a little bit until one of them accidentally kicked a stack of chairs that fell over to the side. The chairs made a loud crashing sound and the two boys looked to each other in panic before tossing the cloak back on and making their way back to Gryffindor Tower. They were sure Filch or someone else would have heard that racket.

When they were back in their room, they were both tired and looking to the ceiling. "Harry." Ron started.

"Yea?" Harry replied.

"I don't think you should go and look at that mirror again, mate. It's bad news it is. I don't trust it. There's something up with that mirror," Ron said.

Harry was silent for a moment before he said, "Probably…" and soon fell asleep. He was going at least one more time. He wanted to take Elsa to see it. He also wanted to see his family again and he wondered what she would see in it and maybe they could figure out what it did together.

{-} {-} {-}

The remainder of the break went by quickly. Harry was actually a little relieved by this. He was already starting to miss his other friends and learning about magic. He also wanted to get a lot of pictures of them all and the few days they had off before classes started again would be perfect for that. Ron seemed happy to see the others as well. In fact, the two of them decided to wait in the entrance hall for their friends.

Shortly after the flood of students entered the hall, they both found themselves in bone crushing hugs from Hermione. "I missed you all so much," she said as she gave each of them an additional hug.

Both boys blushed a little and looked over to a smirking Neville for help. He raised his hands up and said, "I already got my hugs on the train."

"Hugs?" Ron asked.

"Yeah. Do you honestly think Elsa will let you get away without one too?" Neville said.

Just then Harry was enveloped in a new embrace. This one was tight but not bone crushing and it felt warmer. Elsa smiled up at him and said, "Hey you. I missed you as well. Thanks for the gift."

Harry blushed and returned the hug as he said, "Thank you for yours." They then ended the hug and Ron got his hug from her.

He then turned and thanked the others as well for their gifts. "So how many pictures have you already taken?" Elsa asked with a smile.

Ron gave a chuckle. "We've lost count of his pictures already."

Harry then raised an eyebrow at him and said, "And I've lost count of how many you took as well." Ron's ears turned a little red as the other three laughed and soon he and Harry joined in the laughter.

"Really it's been wonderful. Ron's pretty good at them too. He took a great picture of me and Hedwig," Harry said. He then grinned as he added, "I've already filled in a few pages in the album."

The group of friends found an empty classroom where they could talk more about their holidays in peace. After they had for a while, Hermione spoke up and got to business. "So, any luck on the Flamel front?"

Harry shook his head. "No, Ron and I tried a lot of different books. We had no luck. I even sneaked into the restricted section, but that didn't work out at all."

"You did?! How?!" Hermione asked.

Harry looked to Ron who nodded. He then pulled out the invisibility cloak he had in his bag which held the camera as well. He put it on and they all gasped in awe. "I got this too. It belonged to my father. Don't know who it was from, but they said it was left in their care and they thought it was time to pass it on to me."

"Wow…" Elsa said as she reached out and grabbed the cloth and ran her hand along it. "It's so smooth and silky," she said with a smile. The others examined it as well.

"So why is the Restricted section out then if you have this now?" Neville asked.

"The books have protections as well. I picked up one and it shrieked at me something awful! Filch heard it and immediately knew where to go," Harry told them.

Hermione frowned. "That's too bad… Imagine all of the books in the restricted section you could read." Harry and Ron stifled their snickers at her response. It was a very Hermione response. She didn't care about Harry almost getting caught. She only cared about them not being able to read restricted section books.

"That's really too bad about Flamel though," Neville said with a sigh. "I looked into him a little over the holidays, but couldn't find anything in the library my family owns. Then again, I didn't have a lot of free time in the first place. When I did, I usually helped my great uncle Algie in the greenhouses."

"Given you started your lordship training that's to be expected," Elsa said in understanding. "I had to take breaks from any books every so often myself. I even found myself hating the sight of books so much sometimes that I thought about throwing out some of my favorites."

Harry, Ron and Hermione chose not to say anything on the matter. When Elsa and Neville talked about such things they all felt lost. Harry decided to prevent them from going on further though. "So… Well I have my camera… I was wondering if… We could all take pictures together. If you don't mind."

Elsa, Hermione and Neville grinned to this and nodded. They spent most of the rest of the day taking pictures. Harry made sure to get pictures of everyone and Ron even took a few as well. Mostly ones of Harry with the others. He wanted Harry to be in the shots too. They even got Professor McGonagall to take a picture of them all together when they came across her in the hallway making sure everything was alright.

"Of course. I would be happy to," she said when asked. She even played along when Harry wanted a picture of him with her, his head of house. She was happy to see him so excited and really hoped Hagrid's little side project was going well. She could already tell Harry would love it. It was just a shame they couldn't get it all together in time for Christmas.

{-} {-} {-}

A couple of days before classes started again, Harry managed to pass a note to Elsa. Fortunately, Ravenclaw's table was right by Gryffindor's. Elsa took the note and read it while the others were listening to Lisa talking about the fabulous and extravagant party she went to with her parents. The party sounded alright by Elsa's standards, but it had nothing on her birthday party or the Holiday Ball Arendelle threw every year. After all, they weren't just celebrating Christmas for that ball, but also the Crown Princess' Birthday. Arendelle also held a Summer Ball as well around Anna's birthday.

Elsa looked over the note in thought again. " _Meet me after Dinner. There's something I want to show you alone on the same floor as the library._ "

Elsa soon scribbled down her own answer and returned it to Harry via a whispered levitation charm. Harry opened it quickly while Hermione was chastising Ron for talking with his mouth full and Neville was shaking his head. Ron was getting better about his manners thanks to them all, but he forgot them at times.

" _Okay… Meet me in the classroom we were at when we first returned. I know a way to get us there unnoticed._ " The note read in Elsa's beautiful handwriting.

When they met in the classroom, Harry gave Elsa a smile. "I kind of wanted to show you something without getting Ron's attention or anyone else's. Sorry if it seemed weird. I brought my cloak with me even," He said.

"Let's go then," Elsa replied.

Harry pulled out the cloak and motioned for her to come next to him. "It will fit us both if we're careful," he said as she stood really close next to him. Harry actually felt his heart beat a little louder for some reason. It felt very different to him vanishing under cloak with Elsa alone like this. Once they were covered he whispered to her, "Lead the way."

Harry paid attention as they walked down the hall a little in the opposite direction of the main stairwell. He didn't ask questions and just followed Elsa. They walked a little more until they turned into a small bench area facing a group of windows. Elsa then leaned down and said something he couldn't make out to the bench.

Harry took in a surprised breath when the bench spilt apart and a part of the wall moved to the side as well. They walked into a dark corridor that lit up brightly as soon as the wall behind them closed. They walked up a carpeted stair case and across a different corridor before it then dead ended with a blank wall.

Elsa then touched a brick and the wall seemed to deconstruct before their eyes leading into a decent sized room with no windows and some lights. "Okay Harry just follow me here and don't worry about it," Elsa said as she looked to Harry and he nodded. She then walked right through the wall in front of them and they appeared not too far from the mirror room.

Harry was amazed by what just happened and had questions, but he took over the lead and led the way to the mirror's room. Once they were inside before looking at the mirror, he asked, "What was that?"

Elsa gave a giggle. "A secret passageway, what did you think it was?"

Harry rolled his eyes and replied, "You know what I mean."

She giggled again and nodded. "I've been exploring a lot and I found this in that archive which had a lot of information about secret passageways in the castle. That last barrier we went through was what gave wizards ideas about how to protect Platform 9 ¾ . The headmaster at the time knew about the passage way from during his time in school and thought it was the best way to handle the Hogwarts Express Platform. Only those who know about that passage way can use it. You have to either read about it or be shown it by someone who knows it."

"That's really cool. Did this archive happen to have anything about Flamel?" he asked.

"I haven't really thought about such things when I found it. The place isn't usually easy to get to really, but if I find it again then I will be sure to look through it for anything about Nicolas Flamel," she replied.

She then looked around the room in question. "Is this what you wanted to show me? I mean it looks really pretty but it is just a mirror," she said.

Harry smiled to her. "No, it isn't." He then stood in front of the mirror and looked again. This time he blinked a little when he saw Elsa standing next to him along with his family. He shook his head and figured that would make sense. However, when he turned around and noticed Elsa was instead peeking over his shoulder he wondered a little more at what he was seeing.

"You have to stand here and look into it," he said putting that last thought to the side for the moment. He wanted to know what Elsa saw in it.

Elsa looked to him curiously and nodded before stepping in front of him and looking into the mirror. Her blue eyes widened and she gasped loudly as she looked at the mirror. There were even a couple of tears in her eyes that Harry didn't notice.

She just stared for a little while at what the mirror was showing her. In the mirror she was with her sister, the two of them talking happily as Elsa used her wand to levitate a few dolls. She and Anna were laughing while they took turns voicing the dolls and preformed a little play for their parents. Anna then gave Elsa a tight hug as she happily said something. There wasn't any sound, but Elsa could read her sister's lips.

" _I always knew you were the best big sister ever! Now you're even more amazing! Your ice powers are awesome, but now you have other magic as well. This is great!_ " Elsa read to herself.

She then saw Anna greeting her after returning from Hogwarts each year. She saw Anna giving her a tearful but happy goodbye each year before she stepped on to the train to head off to Hogwarts.

Harry was silent while Elsa looked into the mirror. He hadn't expected such a reaction. Elsa then sniffed a little and looked to the side. "Harry… What is this?" she asked. Her voice was dangerously close to her serious tone, which she used when confronting Professor Quirrell on the first day of classes or what he heard she used on Snape at times.

"It's the mirror…" he said unsurely.

"What does it do?" she asked still not looking at the mirror.

"I'm not sure. I kind of wanted to know what it showed you. I thought it would make you happy. It did for me by showing me my family. Ron saw himself as both Head Boy and Quidditch Captain. I thought it would make you happy too… I'm sorry if it didn't," he said with an edge of apology.

Elsa sighed and seemed to regain herself. She gave him a sad smile. "It does make me happy… It also makes me really sad…"

She then looked again. She was a bit surprised this time because it showed an older Harry with an older her and Anna smiling brightly while he had placed a loving hand on her shoulder. She jumped a little when she felt a hand on her should for real. She looked to Harry who was giving her a sorrowful look and hugged her. "Sorry it made you sad."

Elsa hugged him back briefly before they stepped apart. "So… Can I ask what it showed you?" He asked meekly.

Elsa gave another sigh and wiped the tears from her eyes. "It showed me with… Anna… We were together and I was using magic in front of her. We were putting on a play for our parents. I also saw her seeing me off at the train station and welcoming me back every year."

"I think it does show us what makes us happy. But that doesn't mean it won't be painful. Not for people like us. It showed you surrounded by a fully alive and caring family. It showed me a world where my incident of accidental magic never happened. It showed me a life where Anna knows I'm a witch and knows about my powers. It showed me a world that I have longed for deep within my heart, but will never have. I've dreamed about those things with Anna. I've dreamed about shopping with her in Diagon Alley and much more," She said as she sat down on a chair.

Harry looked at the mirror in a different light now. He then looked at the inscription again. "I show not your face, but your heart's desire," he read it backwards. Elsa looked to him questioningly. "That's what the inscription says on the mirror. Its backwards so I didn't get it the first time."

"It's a great but terrible thing then…" Elsa started. "For people like us at least. People who want something they can never have. Something stolen away from them. Anyone could go mad from looking at it too long…"

Harry now understood what Ron was getting at when he warned him not to see it again. He thought again about how he and Ron had acted that night in front of the mirror. The two of them actually fought each other over who got to stand in front of a bloody mirror.

Harry gave a scoff at the mirror and said, "I guess only someone who was truly happy in the bottom of their heart could stare at this mirror and not go crazy about it."

Elsa gave a bit of a laugh. "It would probably be just a normal mirror to them."

When they were about to leave, Harry looked back at the mirror one last time. This time seeing Elsa there next to him alongside his family seemed to have a different meaning. Perhaps it didn't only show unreachable happiness. He would want Elsa and his friends there by his side. With that thought, he saw the rest of his friends step into the mirror as well. They too were smiling and waving at him. As the door to the mirror room closed behind them, Harry vowed not to return to it again.

"Thanks for taking me, Harry," Elsa said as they walked back through the passageway.

"Really?" Harry asked.

Elsa turned to him and smiled. "Yes, really. I don't know what to think about that mirror, but it was fun sneaking through the castle under the cloak. We had a bit of an adventure together on our own."

Harry smiled to that. Elsa then gave him a frown as she said, "Even if you insisted on taking Ron on it first."

Harry paused and was about to apologize when he heard Elsa giggle. He gave a sigh causing her to giggle more. He just playfully shook his head at her. It still caught him off guard when Elsa teased. He wouldn't mind it so much if he knew when she was and wasn't teasing easily and before she started giggling.

He again decided he needed to pay more attention to her and figure her out better. Seeing her reaction and their discussion earlier, showed him a different side to her and reminded him that there was a lot more to her than she usually let show. He couldn't help but think it was something automatic in her case and probably not necessarily something she always wanted to do.

Thoughts ran through each of their heads as they made their way back to where they would split up to go to their houses. Elsa was thinking about the mirror. She blushed a little at the last sight it showed her. The one of Harry there with her when they were older. She really hoped that wasn't something impossible, even if it probably was since she was a crown princess and all. She didn't really feel like she had the luxury of that kind of relationship with Harry.

Harry was thinking more on Elsa. He was also thinking about how much he liked going on this little exploration with her alone. There was a part of him that wanted to find more time to spend with her alone. He liked all of his friends, but he wanted to be with Elsa a little more often without the others. He wasn't sure if that was because he wanted to make up for all of the time Elsa wasn't with the rest of them or if it was something else.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: The Illusive Man Found!

Harry noticed once classes started again two things came back to him in full force. The first one was how much he loved learning magic. The second thing was how much he hated History of Magic and Potions. He was even half tempted to ask about joining Neville in his extra lessons with Elsa. Neville's grades had improved even if he was still in the middle of the class points wise.

The reason Harry didn't jump on that was because he felt it might hurt Hermione's feelings if not only Neville but also Harry went to Elsa for help in a class despite her being right there. Sure, the bushy haired girl was happy Neville was doing better and she didn't really seem to be upset it was thanks to Elsa. However, Harry was starting to wonder about her as well. Elsa was more difficult to read once you started looking more at her and realized there was more than you thought was there. " _Maybe all girls are like that to a degree?_ " he thought. He had a feeling Hermione was bothered by someone else tutoring Neville, but didn't show it. Two of her friends going to someone else and that person being the same one would probably be too much for her or something.

If girls were all like that, it was too damn confusing for no real reason in his opinion. Why couldn't they just say what was on their mind or better show it for other people to understand? He wasn't sure in the end what to think on the matter.

However, one thing he was sure of was that Oliver was even more pumped and determined when it came to Quidditch with the new year. This was a bad thing in Harry's mind, because the Quidditch captain was even more fervent than before and that was really saying something. At the same time, it seemed like Ron was equally determined not to be out done by a mere Quidditch team captain when it came to loving the game. The first game after the holiday season was on the way and Gryffindor was playing Hufflepuff. This of course got everyone up in a tizzy at the school including Malfoy.

Harry, Ron and Neville were walking back from a class when they came across the Slytherin. "Hey, Potter!" called Draco. "I was just wondering what you would think about this. You see I'm betting Gryffindor should just replace you with a toad. I mean it has a bigger mouth and could probably stay on a broom better." Draco laughed along with Crabbe and Goyle.

Neville was probably about to say something along the lines of "Just ignore him," but Harry had a different plan.

He gave a smile and said, "You know you might be on to something there, Draco." Draco blinked at this. "Maybe I'll convince Oliver to get one as a backup seeker. That way next time we face Slytherin it can play and your team might stand a better chance. I mean I was barely able to stay on my jinxed broom and we still whooped Slytherin with ease. I'm sure a whole team of toads could do just as well against Slytherin." This caused Ron and even Neville to laugh.

Harry then chuckled and went one step further. "You really seem to help me out when it comes to Quidditch. Next time I won't have to worry about the Slytherin stink getting to me while the toad plays. I even first got to be on the team thanks to you."

Ron chuckled and said, "At this rate, Slytherin will probably hand the Quidditch cup over to us thanks to Malfoy."

Malfoy looked furious and was about to try something, but two professors came around the corner talking to each other. Malfoy and his two shadows decided to just leave after glaring at Harry, Ron and Neville again.

"I wish you had your camera, Harry. It would have been great to have a picture of Malfoy's face just then," Neville said with a chuckle.

{-} {-} {-}

The truth was the next game was coming up soon and everyone was getting excited. When they went to dinner that night, George and Fred had uncharacteristically serious expressions. "What's going on?" Ron asked a hint of worry in his voice. It wasn't right seeing the twins like this, even when they were actually pulling a prank where they acted serious their faces weren't anything like this.

Fred frowned and answered, "Snape's refereeing the next game."

That caused Ron to feel a little sick. Harry frowned and Neville just sighed. George spoke next, "He'll be calling any foul he can make up against us during the game."

Oliver came by at that moment and saw all of their faces. "I see you heard."

"Is that even allowed?" Ron asked. "Can a house head referee a quidditch match?"

Oliver gave a nod. "As long as their house isn't playing in the game, they can; so long as they're 'fair'. Which we all know Professor Snape won't be. He'll all too happily give the game to Hufflepuff, because he knows their team is weak enough Slytherin would beat them and probably get the cup again this year."

Ron and Neville were really angry/scared about Snape's new desire to referee games for different reasons. They actually ate quickly and left which caught Hermione off guard when she later joined them for dinner.

"What's going on?" she asked once they were leaving. It seemed Elsa also noticed something was up and made her way over as well.

Ron motioned for them to follow and when they were in an empty classroom together he spoke. "Snape's refereeing the next Quidditch game. Who knows what he'll try in that position. No one would be able to stop him from jinxing Harry's broom again or worse."

"I wouldn't put it past him, especially because I bet he's figured out we're on to him trying to get whatever it is Fluffy's guarding," Harry said.

Elsa still wasn't fully on board with Snape being like that. Hermione was frowning though and hoping beyond hope that he wouldn't try anything. Part of her still desperately wanted Professors to be above such things.

Neville gave a frown in thought as he had an idea what the girls were thinking. He then said, "We know he was the one jinxing the broom. So, something's going on. Even if he isn't trying to off Harry because we know he's up to something. He might be crazy enough to hurt Harry just to see Slytherin win the cup in the end. He and McGonagall are both pretty crazy about the sport, but he doesn't care about playing nice like she does."

"Don't play…" Neville said as he turned to Harry.

"Pretend to break your leg," Hermione said. She and Elsa couldn't really deny Neville's words.

"Really break your leg," Ron suggested earning a glare from both Elsa and Hermione. He shrugged in defense. It seemed like a good idea considering. They might call Harry out on the leg unless they had solid proof it was broken. Harry would just miss maybe a couple of days of school at most before he was good as new thanks to Madam Pomfrey.

Harry sighed to this. He wanted to get his mind off of the matter even if only briefly. "Well since we're all here. Any chance you found that Archive and looked up Nicolas Flamel, Elsa?"

Elsa gave a thoughtful frown. "I found a Nicolas Flamel, but I doubt it is the same one. I mean the book I found mentioning him in the archive is really old. I'm talking hundreds of years old. No way it could be the same one connected to Dumbledore. I know Professor Dumbledore is over a hundred years old, but he isn't like 400 years old."

Harry pulled out a chocolate frog he had with him in his bag. He then gave his chocolate toll/tax to Elsa by handing her one as well. As he ate his in thought, the others were discussing their lack of luck on the Flamel Front or Snape again. He then looked at the card. " _Dumbledore. Again,_ " he thought in disappointment. Then his eyes widened and he turned the card over and smiled before chuckling.

"You okay, Mate? I know it's bad Snape's refereeing and all, but we'll figure something out. You probably shouldn't go and lose your mind at this point, even if that would get you out of the game," Ron said.

Harry shook his head. "No, that's not it…" He then smiled wider. "I found him. I found Nicolas Flamel. I told you I'd read the name somewhere before. Listen to this. Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the Dark Wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel." He then handed the card to Ron who then passed it to Neville.

Hermione's eyes gleamed as she quickly pulled out a large book from her book bag. Ron looked at the large tome in surprise. "I picked this up for a bit of light reading," she explained without looking up.

Ron shook his head and chuckled a little, "Only you would probably consider that light reading, Hermione."

She gave him a halfhearted frown before flipping through the book to the page she was looking for. "This is it! I Should have noticed it sooner!" She seemed to almost laugh in triumph without saying anything to anyone else.

"Hermione, it isn't polite to keep your friends waiting like this," Elsa said.

Hermione blushed a little and then started to read. "Nicolas Flamel is the only known maker of the Sorcerer's stone." She looked up but saw their faces and sighed as she continued reading:

"The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with the making of the Sorcerer's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The Stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal.

There have been many reports of the Sorcerer's stone over the centuries, but only one stone is currently known to be in existence. It belongs to Mr. Nicolas Flamel, the noted alchemist and opera lover. Mr. Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife, Perenelle (six hundred and fifty-eight)."

Ron whistled to that. "No wonder we didn't find anything about him in modern wizardy and magic or anything of the like. He's over six hundred years old. That's not modern at all."

Neville blinked. "So that means it's the same Nicolas Flamel Elsa found after all. Did you read anything about him?"

Elsa shook her head. Her mind was filled with other questions as well. Did this mean Nicolas Flamel knew about the truth behind the Evergreens? Would she have to worry about him? He wouldn't tell Dumbledore about members of the Royal Arendelle family, who awaken the gift, usually having special powers, would he? She decided to look more into Nicolas Flamel for her own reasons next time she visited the Archive.

"Well. We know what Snape is after now," Harry said with a sigh.

"But he wouldn't steal from Dumbledore. Would he?" Hermione asked genuinely curious and again hoping the outcome of this discussion would be different what it most likely would be.

"Turns any metal into pure gold. Grants immortality. Anyone would want something like that. Many wizards would go dark just to get a glimpse of the thing. I wouldn't be too surprised if a professor betrayed Dumbledore for such a object," Neville said.

"Plus, it is Snape we're talking about here," Ron added earning nods from Harry and Neville.

"Regardless, of knowing what Fluffy is guarding. The more important matter at hand is the upcoming quidditch game. What will you do, Harry?" Elsa asked. Harry was in thought while frowning. Elsa then added, "You don't have to decide right this minute, but you will have to by the time the game starts."

{-} {-} {-}

As the match grew closer, everyone's mood was even higher. There were more people saying things to each other about which team they thought would win or which team they wanted to win. This time around since it was Hufflepuff they were facing. People were a lot more divided on who they wanted to win the game. Slytherin of course wanted Hufflepuff to win cause Gryffindor, but Ravenclaw was fairly well split between the two houses.

"I'm going to play," Harry announced at lunch the day before the game started.

"Are you sure?" Ron asked seriously. He wanted Gryffindor to win of course, but he didn't trust Snape to not try and get at Harry.

While they were eating, Oliver came up and said to Harry, "Try to get the snitch as soon as you can tomorrow, Harry. The longer this game goes on the more unfair calls Snape will make. And the better chance Hufflepuff has to win. I don't like putting this kind of pressure on you so early in the season, but it is needed in this case."

Harry nodded in agreement with Oliver even if it was for a different reason. He figured the sooner the game ended the less chance Snape had to do something to his broom again. Harry wasn't as nervous this time around, but he was much more anxious with Snape as the referee.

{-} {-} {-}

It was finally time for the game and Harry was in the locker room with the rest of the team waiting. He was pleasantly surprised when one of the twins came in and said loudly, "Blimey. Everyone's out there, even Professor Dumbledore!"

Harry gave a laugh in relief that caused the others to look at him oddly. It seemed as if they were concerned he had just lost it. "Sorry… It's just I feel more excited this time for some reason," he lied quickly. That got everyone else to nod in understanding.

"Alright everyone, even with Dumbledore in the audience Snape will still do everything he can to interfere with the match. Our strategy is still the same. Play as clean as you can, and Harry get that snitch as soon as you can. You should be able to beat their seeker Cedric. He's good, but he doesn't have a seeker's build, you're better than him and on top of that you have the better broom," Oliver said at their final pep talk before they marched out on to the field.

Ron, Hermione, and Neville were all sitting together. They were ready to use a spell on Snape they had looked up if he tried to hurt Harry. Ron had mentioned that feet were surprisingly important when it came to keeping your balance in Quidditch even as a referee. Neville had recommended the leg locker hex in that case and pointed it out in one of their books.

"And their off!" shouted Lee Jordan commentating again like last time.

"Good thing Elsa's on the other side keeping an eye out as well," Ron said. He then said, "Ouch!" and rubbed the back of his head.

"Sorry Weasley. Didn't see you there," a drawling voice spoke up. "So how long until Potter falls off his broom this time? Really a Nimbus 2000 is far too good for the likes of him. They should have just given him a school broom. It's an insult to brooms giving such a masterpiece to him."

Ron didn't say anything as he frowned. Snape had just given Hufflepuff a penalty shot, claiming Fred was aiming at him with that bludger despite there being an otherwise open Hufflepuff chaser right there near him.

Neville gave a chuckle to Malfoy. "He'd probably still be able to fly circles around Slytherin's Seeker."

Harry was circling above like a hawk as Gryffindor scored three goals.

Draco frowned and said, "I bet they pick out who to put on the Gryffindor team based on how sorry they feel for them. I mean the Weasleys got no money. Potter's got no parents." He sneered and said, "Longbottom. You should try out for the team. You've got no brains. You can barely mix a potion without burning a hole in your cauldron." Crabbe and Goyle laughed at that along with Malfoy.

Neville raised an eyebrow at Draco. Draco didn't like this reaction it wasn't big enough. "If that was true then that means anyone in Gryffindor could beat Slytherin's team with ease. Fortunately, for your house's pride that's not the truth. It still doesn't change the fact that Slytherin lost bad against Gryffindor." Ron, while still watching the game and Snape, raised a hand to his side which Neville high fived.

"Ooo look!" Hermione said as she pointed at Harry. Their friend was shooting towards the ground really fast, so fast that they weren't sure he would be able to make it out of the dive safely.

"Hey look Weasley! Harry's found a speck of gold for you. That might get you a used sock," Draco said with a smirk.

"Hey Draco, you should try out for the team next year to play as seeker. After all, you can't even tell a snitch when you see one. That makes you as qualified as the current seeker at least," Ron said with a smirk as Harry pulled out of the dive spectacularly holding the snitch in his hand.

The crowd cheered loud while clapping and stomping their feet. Harry just broke the record! No one had ever caught the snitch in less than five minutes before. Harry pumped his hand holding the snitch in the air as he circled the stadium and landed on the pitch after Snape begrudgingly called the game in Gryffindor's favor. Harry only took a little pleasure in how much such a call clearly pained Snape.

Ron, Hermione, Neville and several other students climbed over the stands and on to the field. Elsa seemed to managed to get there first and hugged Harry in relief and happiness. Hermione did the same a couple of seconds later. Several others patted him on the back and congratulated him, even the Hufflepuffs gave a polite applause.

As the teams lined up to thank each other for the game, Cedric gave him a nod and said, "Well played, Potter. Next time we meet it won't be so easy for you though." He gave Harry a friendly smile.

Harry returned the smile and said, "Oh I'll be ready so don't think you'll catch me off guard." Cedric gave a chuckle as his team left to the locker rooms first.

"Good job, Harry," Elsa said with a smile.

"Talk about showing Slytherin!" Ron said with a huge grin. "Draco tried to get us again, but Neville here showed him easily." Ron then thumped Neville on the back as the other boy grinned.

{-} {-} {-}

Soon everyone left the fields and headed back to the castle while the Gryffindor team headed to the lockers. Once they were finished and Oliver gave his after game speech, the team made their way out one by one.

Harry stayed behind a little. He'd won the game! He'd won the game before Snape could give too many points to Hufflepuff. The first game he won, but it felt more like a fluke because of everything that happened. This time there wasn't a fluke, or a jinxed broom. He'd won this game based on his skills alone with his teammates. It was the first time he'd ever accomplished anything on his own. Voldemort, he defeated as a baby and he couldn't remember that. This however, he had accomplished and would probably remember it for years to come. It was a great feeling to have and he relished it a little longer before leaving to head back to the castle.

Once he was outside heading back, he looked and saw a cloaked figure moving quickly to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Harry recognized the gait as belonging to Snape. Something was up and he was going to find out. Harry hopped on to his broom and silently glided after the figure. He stopped and hid in a tree nearby hovering on his broom. Harry was surprised to see Professor Quirrell also on the edge of the forest.

"A-a-ah S-S-Severus. Good to see you… W-w-why did y-y-you want to meet here?" he asked as he looked around and shifted uneasily where he was standing. Harry knew he would too in such a situation with Snape.

"I figured we would keep this private. Students aren't supposed to know about the Sorcerer's Stone after all," Snape's calm voice answered.

"W-w-what are you t-t-t-talking about?" Professor Quirrell said his face seemingly turning paler.

"You know what I'm talking about. Have you figured out how to get past that beast of Hagrid's yet?" Snape said in an accusatory tone.

"I-I-I-I'm afraid I d-d-don't know what you m-m-m-mean," the stuttering professor replied.

"You know exactly what I mean. Don't play me for a fool who believes in the greater good of everyone," Professor Snape said with narrowed eyes.

Harry was startled by the hoot of an owl. He missed part of the conversation between the two professors while he tried to keep his balance and not get caught. It was clear to Harry where their conversation was going so he doubted he missed anything important.

"-Your little hocus pocus. I'm waiting for it," Snape said.

"Y-y-you're m-m-mistaken, S-S-Severus," Quirrell whimpered in reply.

Snape glared at the other man and said, "We'll just have to have another private talk like this again then. Right now, you're in the neutral category leaning towards my bad side. Trust me, you don't want to be on my bad side. You don't want me as an enemy. We'll meet again and then you will tell me where your loyalties truly lie." With those words Snape sharply turned and made his way back to the castle. Professor Quirrell looked as if he was going to throw up as he collapsed to the ground and seemed to whimper again.

Harry made his way back to the castle. He had to tell the others about this. There was no way they wouldn't believe him about Snape being after the stone now. Harry landed and entered the great hall heading towards the dining hall.

"Harry!" he was greeted by his friends.

"Where were you?" Ron asked.

Harry didn't say anything and motioned for them to follow him to what had become their great hall meeting place. Once the door was closed, Ron looked to him puzzled, "What's up? We were waiting for you before going to dinner."

"Forget dinner," Harry started looking at his friends seriously. "I just saw Snape threaten Professor Quirrell out near the Forbidden Forest. He talked about the stone and demanded Quirrell help him and tell him what he knew about getting past Fluffy. He even mentioned something about Quirrell's hocus pocus," Harry finished.

Everyone sat down at those words. Elsa seemed really puzzled by something but remained silent on the matter. "What do you think that means?" Ron asked.

"I guess it makes sense that there would be other defenses apart from just Fluffy," Neville shared his thought.

"All of the professors probably added something in defense and they probably did so without sharing information with the others for security reasons," Elsa said.

"Professor Quirrell probably added something that fights the dark arts or something like that. Snape probably already knows how to get past everything else," Harry said.

"So then… The only things keeping Professor Snape from getting the stone are Fluffy and whatever it is Quirrell put up?" Hermione asked. She had to admit it looked like Professor Snape was indeed planning on stealing the stone. "That doesn't fill me with too much confidence," she admitted with a sigh.

"No, it doesn't," Ron started. "I'd give it two weeks before Quirrell gives in to Snape, and I'm being generous."

"What do we do now?" Neville asked.

"All we can do is hope he doesn't learn how to get past Fluffy and prepare ourselves. Perhaps if we find enough evidence we can go to the professors or Dumbledore about this, but it will take a lot. We're just students in their eyes and accusing a Professor of something like this isn't something you do lightly," Elsa said. Harry nodded in agreement.

"We'd have to find out what else might be down there," Neville said.

"Well we have a general idea," Hermione started. "Each Professor will probably do something that plays to their strengths. Charms, Transfiguration, something anti-dark arts or maybe dealing with trolls, since Professor Quirrell was known for being good with them in the past."

"That seems unlikely given how he acted during Halloween. It has to be something anti-dark arts or Professor Snape wouldn't need his help," Ron said.

Hermione nodded to this. "I don't know what Professor Sprout would do. I don't think something dealing with Herbology would be a good idea for defense," she thought out loud.

"Not necessarily," Neville started. "We've only covered the very basics in that class so far. There are a lot of plants that are very dangerous. Devil's Snare could be good, it will sneak thick vines around you and then constrict them. If you struggle then it will just constrict you more and use more vines. There are some plants that spray out very highly potent and fast acting hallucinogens. Some can even drain magic if their defenses are activated. Others use magic poisons that feed off your core. Plants should not be underestimated," Neville finished to stares of awe. "What?" he asked.

"Remind me never to pull a Goyle with any plant. That's some scary stuff there, mate," Ron said with a nervous chuckle. Ron's stomach then growled. "Since we got that out of the way, can we go eat now? There's still some time before tonight's dinner ends."

The others nodded in agreement and they left. Their stomachs may not have growled out loud like his did, but they were all hungry. Harry was okay with eating now. There wasn't really much they could do at the moment, but hope for the best and he too was really hungry after all of the nerves he had today before the game.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Magical Archives and Dragons?!

Now that they had an idea what to study and prepare for regarding the stone and Snape, even if it was just very generalized, the group of friends ultimately decided to get ready for whatever they could. They also chose and played to their own strengths as well. Ron did so by playing chess with other people and even coming up with different scenarios for games to kind of help him get to thinking more tactically since it was agreed they would do their best to stick together on this. Hermione worked on learning and looking up more spells before deciding which ones would be the most helpful and easiest for the others to learn in preparation.

Neville started looking more into plants, especially those that would be considered too dangerous for most people and how to deal with and recognize them. Harry focused more on getting in better shape. He wanted to do more, but the others insisted he already had a lot on his plate with Quidditch and everything else. Elsa decided to look up various things in her family's archive at Hogwarts.

"Marvin," she said as she entered the supposedly hard to find archive she always seemed to forget the location of after locating it.

"Yes, your Highness?" Marvin asked as he appeared in front of her.

"Can you find me all you can about Nicholas Flamel and place it to the side? I would also like it if you could find information on spells that allow you to breath where you usually can't," she ordered. She thought to make spell request odd and open.

As soon as she stated her order, Marvin already sent books her way while placing others to the side. "May I ask why it is you suddenly have a greater interest in Mr. Flamel? I believe you said he wasn't who you wanted," he asked as he placed three more books on the growing stack in front of Elsa at her study desk.

"Well I've discovered he is the one we were looking for and is still alive and has been for well over 600 years. On top of that, he is connected to Headmaster Dumbledore and I was told to be careful around him with certain secrets. I want to see if I will need to meet with Mr. Flamel and make sure he doesn't know too much or at the very least he won't spread that information to the Headmaster," she answered while looking through the first book sent her way.

"Ah yes, the Headmaster. I can see why you would be concerned. He is very wise and also very experienced. He really enjoys politics as well, in a way. Though first and foremost he is an educator. This means he loves learning new things and finding more knowledge. Noble pursuits, but he unfortunately has a tendency to get carried away," Marvin said in thought out loud.

"What was that about politics?" Elsa asked as she looked to him curiously.

"Well he enjoys politics to an extent, and he is really good at such things when he wants to be. It is just a hobby to him more than anything, but he takes it seriously. After all he isn't the Supreme Mugwump and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot for no reason. He's even been offered the position of Minister of Magic on numerous occasions."

Elsa looked to Marvin and asked, "Why hasn't he taken such an offer?"

"Like I said. He is an educator first and foremost. If he was the Minister of Magic, then he couldn't be the Headmaster at Hogwarts and from what I have gathered that is his favorite position and it means the most to him. Like I also said he can get very carried away and sidetracked if there is something he finds really extraordinarily interesting. Your powers and the fact your blood line has a strong chance of awakening other such powers whenever someone awakens the gift... would be such a topic," Marvin said as he rearranged the books on the shelves to make up for the missing ones without them falling out of place.

Elsa started looking through one of the books Marvin gave her. It turned out there were actually a number of spells that helped with breathing in places you usually can't easily. Neville mentioned spores from plants and she thought it would be good to find preventive measures. Sure, they could use masks, but it would be very suspicious if a bunch of first years started running around with gas masks or something similar. She was sure it wouldn't be easy to borrow them from Herbology either.

She blinked at the first spell she found. "Bubble head charm?" she read aloud.

"That is a handy spell. It allows you to breath underwater," Marvin said. "Would you like some tea or anything, Your Highness?" Elsa nodded and Marvin immediately summoned one of the house elves they hadn't before as a means of a quick introduction.

"Hows mays Dimm helps?" the house elf asked. He was an older elf with dark orange grey streaked hair. His appearance also reminded Elsa she needed to visit those other properties her family owned sometime.

"Our mistress is busy and would like some tea, if you would be so kind Dimm," Marvin said as he looked for other books he thought might help the young princess. Sometimes people don't know what to ask for specifically, that is where he came in.

Dimm gave a smile and bowed before disappearing. A few seconds later he reappeared with a teapot and cups. "Thank you, Dimm," Elsa said with a quick smile to the house elf. Dimm seemed to glow with happiness at her praise.

"Thanks you, Your Highness," he said as he bowed again. Elsa still wasn't used to this behavior and that really said something because she was royalty. Such eagerness to please was something she had experienced much before even at her young age, but house elves took it to a new level.

"Hmmm… It would do the job but…" Elsa started. She really liked the sound of the bubble head charm, but it was a higher-level spell and she wasn't sure if they would all be able to master it soon enough. "Need something easier to cast… Won't have much of any warning before…"

Marvin nodded to himself and looked over to the book she was reading. "May I recommend page 256?"

Elsa turned to the page he said. "Purification masking spell…," she said aloud before reading more. She nodded. "That might work. It purifies the air you breath and protects your eyes while not hampering speech." She then frowned a little and looked to Marvin. "I would have found it soon enough."

"Sorry your highness, but it seemed better if I helped a little more since you seem to be really alarmed and eager with whatever it is you are researching," Marvin said.

Elsa gave a nod and sighed. She shouldn't be upset at him. The M.I. was just being helpful, but she didn't want to become overly reliant on others' help. That was not a good way to be a ruler. Listening to what they say and considering it was a good thing, but a strong Queen needed to be able to figure things out on her own. "Sometimes even the best of people have ulterior motives, Elsa." Was something her mother and father had told her many times. Elsa didn't think Marvin had ulterior motives, but getting into such habits could be bad.

"Sorry, Marvin. It's just you know how it is," Elsa said.

She then thought a little longer as she read over the spell. She decided to ask Marvin something else. "Do you know anything about what all is guarding the Sorcerer's Stone by any chance?" She was hoping he might have additional intel.

Marvin seemed to be in a trance for a moment before returning back to his normal self as he floated over to the map. "There isn't much I can tell you about the place, but there are a number of corridors leading to a smaller circular chamber." He the highlighted them on the map for Elsa to see.

"There is a high concentration of magic around these rooms. It is odd though. I can't really make out much detail about their interior layout," He said in thought.

"In other words, the whole gauntlet area is warded from Hogwarts itself to a degree?" Elsa asked. Marvin nodded. "Does that mean it's possible for people to tap into the school's magic itself?" She asked with some awe in her voice.

"It is possible, but very unlikely. It is a very impressive feat that someone, probably Professor Dumbledore, was able to shield these rooms from the school's magic to this extent. Hogwarts' itself probably knows all that is in those corridors, but my reach is not that great," Marvin said as he looked at the rooms curiously.

"If your reach was that great you wouldn't be Marvin. You would be Hogwarts instead," Elsa said. "I'm glad you are your own being, Marvin."

He smiled at her gratefully and then said, "Still I am curious how he managed it and what all the other professors did as protections for the stone."

Elsa gave a laugh as she said, "If we knew that we wouldn't be as frantic about what to study for. Speaking of which I should probably try that spell." She then looked it up again and wondered what it was the Headmaster was doing at the moment and if he really did think there were threats to the stone from his staff. It seemed he had taken even more precautions than she originally thought, so maybe he didn't entirely discount that as a possibility.

{-} {-} {-}

Professor Dumbledore gave a sigh as he thought over the Stone again. He really wondered why it was only now they had thought to protect it with several lines of defense and different rooms. Surely, Voldemort when he was alive the first time would have sought it out. The dark lord was obsessed with immortality and Nicolas had been around for a very long time and was very well known.

Thinking about the stone got him thinking about the mirror which he recently added to the protections. He had originally written it off as a possibility. He hadn't really thought how effective it could be. If it wasn't for the scene he saw play out between young Harry and Princess Elsa, he would have just moved the mirror to somewhere different. However, hearing what the future Queen said about the artifact got the gears in his mind turning.

He hadn't really meant to oversee their scene. He had learned Harry was spending time with the mirror, but he was okay with that at first. He thought it would be nice for Harry to see his family even if it was through the mirror. Harry would still have seen them as they really were, because of how strong and complex the mirror's magic was.

After some time though, he had decided it was time to put it somewhere safer. When he felt the wards signaling their approach, he decided to just hide and wait it out. He was even tempted to say something if it was Harry alone, but that ended up being unnecessary. Dumbledore knew someone could end up wasting away in front of the mirror, he had done so a little after he first saw it. Seeing his departed sister again should have hinted to him the darker purpose it could serve, but he had seen it as a gift and a blessing.

It was Elsa's words that got him to realize that it was a gift, but also a curse. Her lines about it showing something one could never have really got him thinking it would be a good last line of defense possibly. Hogwarts was never meant to be the stone's last resting place. It was only supposed to be for the one year or two years at most. Nicolas Flamel was already working on setting his affairs in order with his wife, but they wanted the stone protected in case of emergencies during the proceedings.

Nicolas and his wife were very formidable magic users, but even they knew it wouldn't be easy keeping it safe while their estate was looked over and its value estimated. They would be having many people in and out while they were getting everything set up. The Sorcerer's Stone was a very tempting target for even the best of wizard kind. Even he himself, Dumbledore Leader of the Light, was briefly tempted by it. However, realizing that it would be very bad if Voldemort or others like him got their hands on the object was more than enough to strengthen his resolve to have it destroyed on Nicolas Flamel's terms.

Thanks to Elsa's words he realized that everyone wanting the stone would want to use it more than anything else. This meant they would see their self using the stone, but not getting it out of the mirror. You could trick your mind's desire into getting the stone more than anything, but tricking your heart into wanting to just get the stone out of the mirror without doing anything else with it would be something else if not impossible.

The truth was Dumbledore wasn't entirely sure if he would be able to get the stone back out after he placed it inside the mirror. He could very well see himself successfully destroying the mirror along his old friend's side, or he could see himself giving the stone to Nicolas to destroy. However, it was still a good idea. After hearing how the mirror could in fact torture people by showing them happiness they could never have and was stolen from them, he wasn't as keen on keeping the mirror around. " _Perhaps the rumor it was made by a dark wizard is true after all,_ " he pondered.

This of course meant were he not able to get the stone back they could just destroy the mirror along with the stone inside. This made it an even better defense in the end. He would just explain to Nicholas what happened and once they verified they couldn't get the stone out there would be no problem in proceeding with destroying both.

Part of the reason Nicolas and Perenelle wanted to destroy the stone was because they knew how dangerous it was. They also knew they weren't really up to the task of keeping an eye on it much longer. It didn't offer true immortality like people believed. It did severely slow aging, but didn't get rid of it completely. Also, it could save you from a great number of harms magical or otherwise, but you would have to quickly take more of the Elixir of Life afterwards. It was partly legend of the elderly couple's power that had protected it for so long and now until the preparations were complete; it was Hogwarts that would protect it.

{-} {-} {-}

Harry, Neville and Hermione were sitting together in the library reading different books they thought might help them prepare for getting to the stone to stop Professor Snape if needed. Things had at least been quiet and normal for Hogwarts the past few weeks. They were attending classes and still meeting up to either discuss what they learned or to just hang out. Harry had been giving Professor Quirrell encouraging looks when he saw the fidgeting, stuttering, mess of a man at times. Sadly, it seemed as if the DADA Professor was paranoid Harry was planning something instead of encouraging him and would usually offer an awkward and confused smile in return. Harry thought about maybe complimenting the professor about his class, but he couldn't do that. Comments such as, "Good job Professor, you didn't stutter as much this class," or "I really enjoy my time in this class," could only sound sarcastic and rude regarding Professor Quirrell's class.

As the three were sitting there, Harry let out a sigh and closed another book. He was sure he knew more than he would ever want to know about common spells, but he hadn't really seen anything that seemed helpful for what they were studying for at the moment. He looked to Neville and thought how surprisingly well Neville did regarding plants, he was now easily the go to source for anything in Herbology in their class. Heck there were even a few older students who asked him for a little help on their own assignments when they saw him looking through a very advanced Herbology book.

Hermione was Hermione. She was learning more and more, but it seemed she was getting easily sidetracked in her pursuits. She was a very curious person and that was a big part of why she had become so knowledgeable in the first place, but she was easily tempted to look up something else. The others quickly learned trying to get her to focus on useful things only was useless. "Everything is useful!" would always be her response and if you pressed her she would just get irritated and then storm off to somewhere else.

Ron was actually working on a homework assignment he had been putting off while he read a couple of books Elsa and Hermione gave him on assessing situations and adapting plans. Harry had joked about how he might be able to actually see seven steps ahead eventually. Ron replied causally, "I'm only at 4 or 5 at the moment."

Elsa was rather silent on her side of things. She had said she was learning as much as she could. She even told him she came across the archive and there was an advanced magical map of the school. She pulled out a copy of what was actually beneath the trapdoor. It wasn't much but they did at least know the general layout of it now. That was something that did help, but there wasn't much detail to it. They were actually going to be meeting later today shortly before Dinner for an update. That wasn't until later though.

Harry gave a stretch and blinked as he said, "Hagrid? What are you doing here? I've never seen you in the library before."

Both Neville and Hermione stopped what they were doing to look up as the giant of a man placed a finger to his lips and walked over to them with his usual friendly smile and it seemed as if he was hiding some books. Maybe it only seemed that way because his hands were so big compared to the books. "Harry, Neville and Hermione. Good ta see you three, what are ya doing here?"

"Studying and reading books," Neville answered rather blandly.

"Aye same fer me. I have a look see every now and then, bit tough for me to move around though," Hagrid said still not showing them the books he was holding.

Hermione looked over to where he had just come from curiously and asked, "What were you doing in the section about dragons?"

Hagrid again shushed them and then looked around to make sure no one seemed to notice. No one really did because there weren't many students in the library at the moment. "Like I said. Jus havin a look see," the man said louder than necessary and earning a glare from Madam Pence. He gave an apologetic look and she just gave a loud and annoyed sigh before returning to her own book.

He then whispered to them quietly, "Not here… Come ta my place in about an hour." He then gave a friendly smile and said, "Well I be seeing ya around suppose. Later." He then walked up to the desk and checked out his books. Madam Pence was so irritated with him that she checked him out quickly just to get him out of there sooner. She probably hadn't even bothered to glance at the titles. Harry decided to keep that information in mind. It might be useful to know in the future.

"What was that about?" Neville asked.

"I could go and see what books he checked out," Hermione said. Neither Harry nor Neville were surprised she might be able to figure out what books Hagrid got just from seeing what was still on the shelf.

"Guess we'll find out in an hour," Harry said shrug.

"Should we get the others?" Neville asked looking to his friend.

Harry shook his head. "Ron needs to finish that assignment for tomorrow. Maybe we can bring Elsa along if we run into her on the way." Harry was pretty sure she was holed up in that 'magical archive' she always seemed to find and never remembered finding. He was pretty sure it didn't just randomly appear and disappear and she did know where it was. He never bothered her about it because he didn't really see a reason to apart from curiosity and he'd rather not get on her bad side by being too nosy about it.

{-} {-} {-}

After an hour passed, they made their way to Hagrid's hut and didn't run into Elsa on the way. "Remember. We have to try and make this quick," Hermione said with a frown. "I don't want to miss meeting with Elsa and Ron." They nodded even though they didn't need to do so as Neville knocked on the door to Hagrid's hut.

Once Fang's barks finished, Hagrid opened the door slightly and then motioned for them to enter. He seemed as if he feared they had been followed. The three friends noticed right away that Hagrid's hut was unusually warm. He even had a large fire in his fire place burning as a something sat in it. "Tea?" Hagrid offered them after they removed their outer robes and sat down.

"Isn't it a little too hot in here for tea?" Neville asked as he wiped a few drops of sweat from his brow. It was really that hot in the hut. The others nodded in agreement with Neville.

"Ahhh… I suppose that it is," Hagrid said as he nervously turned to the fire to make sure it was still going. Harry noticed he had even drawn all of his curtains shut and closed all of his windows tight.

"What were you doing looking for books on dragons?" Harry asked conversationally.

"Ahhh that… Well it's always been a dream of mine to raise a dragon. So, I've been reading about them ya see," he answered as he helped himself to some water and a rock cake. "How come Ron and Elsa aren't with you lot?" Hagrid asked.

"They were busy with other things, and we had short notice to get here," Neville answered.

"I suppose so. Sorry 'bout that," Hagrid said as he nervously started another rock cake.

"Why do you have a fire going?" Harry asked. The place was plenty warm.

"Ahhh well cold out ya know," Hagrid answered awkwardly. It hadn't really been cold for at a couple of weeks.

Hermione then narrowed her eyes while looking at the fire and asked, "Hagrid… What's in the fire?"

Hagrid took a sip of water. "Wood… What'd ya expect in a fire," he answered causally.

Hermione turned to him and crossed her arms. "What's that object in the fire on top of the wood? It almost looks like…" Her eyes then widened. "Hagrid… You didn't?!"

Hagrid nervously scratched the back of his neck. "What is it, Hermione?" Harry asked.

"He's got a dragon's egg!" Hermione answered.

Hagrid gave a nervous chuckle, "Guess ya found out."

"Hagrid its bad to raise a dragon… Especially inside a hut made of wood… With a straw roof," Neville said with a frown.

"Well tha place is protected with magic… And I've been reading up on dragons ya see," Hagrid said. It was almost as if he was eager to tell them now. "This here's a Norwegian Ridgeback! Guessing by the egg. I already know what to feed it and everything!"

"Hagrid… It's illegal to breed dragons outside of a refuge," Hermione said with a frown.

"Not breeding it. Just raising it. Besides, that law was mostly passed to keep muggles from noticing them," Hagrid said.

"There isn't really a lot of room here for a dragon, Hagrid," Harry added looking around the hut that many times seemed way too small for Hagrid let alone a dragon and Hagrid.

Hagrid smiled and answered, "Don't worry it won't get big for a while yet and there's the Forbidden Forest. If ya knew even half of the things in there you'd know it was plenty large enough for just a little bitty dragon."

Harry was about to point out that the dragon was probably going to be bigger than the hut and dragons fly. It wasn't a little bitty animal. It would be discovered quickly. Before he could say that however, they heard a large cracking sound. "Oh! You lot are in fer a treat!" Hagrid said eagerly before rushing over to the egg and using a hotpad and a tray of some kind as he brought the egg out and placed it on the table knocking over the rock cakes and glass of water from earlier.

The egg started to hatch.

Despite their apprehension on the issue at hand, Hermione, Neville and Harry were very eager to watch a dragon hatch. It was probably something they would never see again in their lives. Harry wished he had his camera with him for this moment.

There was another crack, louder this time, and then the egg seemed to almost explode apart shooting bits of dragon egg everywhere. The watchers flinched as bits of egg shell shot past them. They then looked and saw a miniature dragon. It had wings and scales and it was actually a little cute, even if it was a dragon that could grow up and eat them if it wanted.

"Ain't he a cutie!" Hagrid said in a very affectionate tone. "Looking here, Norbert. Good job getting out of tha egg," Hagrid cooed.

"Norbert?" Hermione asked.

"He's gotta have a name," Hagrid said. Norbert then cooed and looked at Hagrid with its big baby dragon eyes. "Awww looka that. He knows who his mummy is." The dragon cooed again and then sneezed as a tiny ball of fire shot out and singed Hagrid's beard. "Well he's got ta get trained up a bit first. I suppose. Time fer some din-din, Norbert."

They actually watched as Hagrid fed baby Norbert who snapped at Hagrid's fingers trying to eat them as well. "Awww looka tha little fella. He's nipping affectionately," Hagrid cooed.

The three first years were a little distracted by Hagrid's motherly attitude towards the dragon. They were pretty sure the giant of a man had a different idea about affection than they did. "How'd you even get a dragon in the first place?" Neville asked.

"I won him off a fella in a poker game at tha Hog's Head. Said he needed to deliver the egg to someone and he'd heard about me being tha grounds keeper here and how good I was with animals," Hagrid said.

"Really?" Hermione asked. That seemed very odd.

"Yeah. You get all sorts o'er at tha Hog's Head. He at least wanted to make sure my heart was in the right place. I told him that most magical animals weren't really dangerous just misunderstood and that I had a knack with them," Hagrid answered.

The three friends were so distracted by Norbert they forgot all about their earlier concerns. Hermione even forgot about the legality of dragon ownership. However, Neville's eyes widened as he looked at the clock on the wall. "We really should be getting back to the school now. It's getting close to dinner."

The other two's eyes widened in recognition as well and they hurriedly got ready to go. "Well… Ummm… Good luck, Hagrid…" Harry said unsurely as they left.

Hagrid just waved at them halfheartedly as Norbert decided one of Hagrid's chairs was perfect for fireball target practice. Hagrid gave a chuckle as he said, "Little tyke…"

{-} {-} {-}

Hermione led the group as they tried to hurry to their meeting spot. When she opened the door she heard Ron say, "Lumo Oblesa." An orb of light shot from his wand and hovered in the air weakly in front of him. He smiled as he turned to Elsa. "See told ya, I'd get it!"

Elsa was frowning slightly. "Ron… Is that really your wand?"

"Yeah… It belonged to my brother Charlie, but it's mine now. What of it?" he asked frowning at her.

Elsa continued sitting there as she said, "Then it isn't your wand, Ron. It's your brother's."

"What of it?" Ron asked a little defensively.

"There are many things you can get by without in even the magical world, but the one thing you should never skimp on is your wand. It's the most important tool for any witch or wizard. You need a wand that is yours. You can't really just inherit a family's wand. It won't work for you properly. Surely, you've heard Olivander's wand spiel when you've been to Diagon Alley with your family," Elsa said. She then cleared her throat and said in a voice imitating the wand maker, "The wand chooses the wizard after all. You'll never get the same result with another wizard's wand if even at all."

"So, what if he says that? I do plenty fine with my wand," Ron said giving her a frown.

"You have the shield charm Hermione found, right?" Elsa asked. Words wouldn't be enough here and would just lead to more pointless debate.

Ron nodded easily to that. They had all practiced it a lot once Hermione told them about it. It seemed like it would be very useful when they go to stop Snape getting the stone.

"Get ready then," Elsa said as she stood adopting a cool almost cold air. She then said, "I won't make it too powerful." She then thrust her wand out and said, "Stingus". The white light raced towards Ron.

Ron quickly said, "Protego." He made a shield charm that was very small and wavered as Elsa's spell passed right through the shield with ease. Ron hissed a little as he was hit.

"Stingus," Elsa said again. The spell shot forward once more.

"Protego!" Ron said with more force this time. Again, he produced a weak shield that the weak stinging hex had no problem going through. He again hissed.

"Stingus," Elsa said once more, the white light shooting forward again.

"Protego!" Ron shouted putting in as much as he could into the spell. It formed a solid shield this time. He would have been pleased if Elsa's low-level stinging hex hadn't shattered the shield causing him to step back a little before he stumbled to the floor.

Elsa walked over to him and offered a hand to him. Ron gave a sigh and took her hand before standing back up. She then looked to him and said, "I could tell that last spell had enough power in it that it should have blocked most hostel spells with ease and not break."

"I still pulled it off…" he offered weakly in return.

Elsa gave a sigh and shot him a serious look. "It took you three times and it was really weak. The first two times should have been able to block the spell with ease and with less drain on you. You may be able to get by in classes with that wand, but what if you are the only one that notices Harry's about to be hit by a spell. You wouldn't be able to cast a shield spell to protect him quick enough with your brother's wand."

Ron looked downcast at this. She had a point, but it wasn't that simple. "Look, Ron. I know you don't like it, but you need to get a new wand. I can either give it to you as a late birthday gift, or you can take a cut from something else. Books perhaps. You can borrow those from anyone."

Ron frowned in thought as he said, "But I want my own set and don't want to inconvenience anyone else."

Elsa nodded in thought to that. "Ask Professor McGonagall about using a set of Hogwarts used books. No one would notice."

Ron looked to the side. He would have been really mad at her for bringing up his family's money issues, but she rarely did and she was very right with her point. Elsa then said, "I'm sure Professor McGonagall would understand and handle it properly. She's not about to give them to you in the middle of the Great hall in front of the school. It won't work for new books, but fortunately school books aren't revised that often in the wizarding world."

He looked to the ground and mumbled, "I'll look into it."

Elsa then turned and frowned a little angrily at the three newcomers. "What took you three so long? Ron and I have been here waiting a while. As you can see, we learned a new useful spell," she said pointing to Ron's orb of light hovering in the air weakly, but still putting off light.

Neville getting the hint to not say anything about what they just witnessed spoke first. "That spell was brilliant. Ummm…" He finished nervously. He wasn't sure how to put it.

Hermione sighed at him and shook her head. "Hagrid has a baby dragon now," she said almost as if it made perfect sense Hagrid would suddenly have a baby dragon. There really wasn't an easy way to put it.

Ron's eyes widened. "That's really illegal! What kind is it?"

"A Norwegian Ridgeback," Harry said.

Ron gulped as he said, "That's even worse… Their venomous and capable of breathing fire… Plus, they grow pretty quickly."

Hermione looked at him impressed. Ron blushed a little but smiled. "My brother Charlie works with dragons in Romania. He tells us all about them when he visits home or in his letters."

"We should probably get going. Dinner's about to start if it hasn't already. You won't tell anyone about the dragon, right? I don't want Hagrid getting in trouble," Harry said.

"Of course we won't, but we will have to do something about it soon…" Ron said in thought.

"I'm really hungry so let's eat. We can talk about dragons and everything else after dinner," Elsa said. She was thankful no one else knew her stomach was growling a little. She kind of didn't really have lunch because she was caught up in the archive. Tea time snacks would only go so far.

{-} {-} {-}

After they met up once again when they finished dinner, they talked more about Norbert. They also practiced the spell Elsa and Ron were doing earlier. Neville seemed to have something on his mind the whole time while they practiced, but he didn't say anything. They just barely noticed he sometimes would look at his own wand.

"I also found another spell that will be really useful," Elsa started. "It's a spell that will protect our nose, mouth, and eyes from plant spores since Neville told us about plants."

"It isn't the bubble head charm, is it?" Hermione asked. She had seen that one but it was far too complex for them and required a better understanding of some magic laws than they would have. Well she could learn them, but the others maybe not soon enough and if she placed the spell on everyone she would probably be useless magic wise the rest of the time. It wasn't an easy spell, especially for first years.

"Nope. I saw that one too and a few others, but this one is best for what we need. It works similar to wearing a breathing mask and protective glasses." She then pointed the wand to her face from the side and said, "Makaask imprivos".

She then spoke and said, "Shoot me with the smoke spell someone." Her voice wasn't even a little hindered.

Harry looked to everyone else and sighed as he did so. The others weren't willing to it seemed. The smoke spell shoots out a plume of spoke at the target. It can be used as a temporary distraction and would cause the target to cough and irritate their eyes enough it showed.

When the smoke quickly cleared, Elsa was breathing normally and her eyes weren't even watering a little in irritation. Elsa then had them try it a few more times just to show that it did work as a lasting effect instead of a one off.

"That seems like a really handy spell. How come they don't teach it to us in Herbology or Potions?" Ron asked after they had all practiced it a few times. He was even able to pull it off without too much effort using his brother's wand. Neville got it really easily too, which was odd because he too usually took longer to get spells right.

"It's a spell that's been lost to time more or less. There's a lot of magic like that," Elsa said.

Ron nodded in understanding. "Makes sense when you say that. My brother Bill works as a curse breaker for Gringotts and he's always talking about how nasty and impressive the stuff Egyptians used on their tombs is. Stuff no one really knows about now."

Hermione gave Elsa a look and asked, "Is this archive filled with stuff like that?"

Elsa nodded to this.

Hermione gave a longing sigh as she then hopelessly asked, "I don't suppose you remembered how you found it this time?"

Elsa blushed and shook her head and Hermione gave a disappointed sigh in response. The Crown Princess only felt a little guilty. If the place wasn't a family secret, she would have shared the location with Hermione and the others eventually.

{-} {-} {-}

Once they were leaving to go back to their dorms, Harry called to Elsa. "What did you mean by sensing Ron was using too much magic?" he asked her.

Elsa adopted a thoughtful expression as a means of hiding her slight worry that maybe she was revealing something she shouldn't. She was trying to figure out the best way to explain it. This worked because it was also partly true. She wasn't about to say she could feel, and if she concentrated enough see, the flows of magic.

"It's kind of hard to say really. I mean it's kind of like I could just tell when I watched him. If that makes sense," she answered after some thought.

"Hmmm…" Harry hummed as he tried to figure it out. "Like a separate sense?" he asked for clarification.

"Maybe… It's hard to say. I don't think it is too abnormal. I mean neither Ron nor Neville seemed to find it too strange," she said in further thought. She was starting to wonder if maybe it really was something common in the magic world, but she doubted it was as refined as her abilities since she could also sense other flows as well.

"I think I'll ask my dorm mates about it," she said expressing her genuine curiosity on the matter. "I wouldn't really bother Ron, Neville, or Hermione about it though. They have enough to worry about. That way if it is something different Hermione won't get distracted even more than she already does looking up different useful spells for the gauntlet." Harry was in thought on this for a moment, but he nodded in agreement. He would give her a little time before bringing it up with the others.

Once they parted company and Elsa made her way back to the Ravenclaw dorm, she went straight up to her room and wanted to ask the others there. "Where were ya?" Morag asked as soon as she opened the door.

"Oh, I was with…"

Elsa stared before Morag rolled her eyes and finished, "Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville."

Elsa blushed a little here. Maybe she had been spending too much time with them. It wasn't her fault. They were her first friends from even before school started and there was the whole Snape and the Stone deal as well. Usually she would say to just leave such matters to the Professors, but when it is in fact one of the Professors that is the problem that really complicated things. She also knew from speaking with Marvin that Dumbledore would not take well to first year students accusing their Instructor of such a matter, even her.

"Sorry…" Elsa apologized.

Lisa giggled and said, "Don't let Morag get to you like that, Elsa. It isn't like we don't see you every night and eat most meals with you or anything like that." She then shot Morag a disappointed look which said girl returned with a very mature and eloquent sticking out of her tongue. Padma and Amanda laughed to this reply while Lisa shook her head with a frown.

"Its fine," Morag started. She then gave a mischievous grin as she said, "I'll just have you make up for it next time we play Truth or Dare." The other girls laughed while Elsa laughed a little nervously. She was a little worried what things she would have to do or say next time.

"Well… Anyways… I was actually really curious about something," Elsa said both trying to change the subject and to get an answer to her current problem. Her roommates proved just how much they were Ravenclaws by immediately taking interest in anything that could be about knowledge or information.

"Is it common for Witches and Wizards to sense magic energies? Even in a way that they can kind of tell what is happening with another witch's or wizard's spell?" Elsa asked.

"Short answer or long answer?" Amanda asked.

Elsa smiled as she said, "You know me. Both." The others giggled to that.

"Short answer is to an extent yes," Amanda replied.

"The long answer is that the extent depends on the witch or wizard in question," Morag said.

"Meaning?" Elsa asked.

"In most cases, magicals can feel magic in the air once they are old enough. It isn't even too uncommon to tell whose magic it is, if you've felt it enough and the magical in question is powerful enough," Padma said earning nods from Lisa and Amanda.

"Wouldn't that make finding magic criminals easier?" Elsa asked.

"Yes, it would, but if you know what you are doing you can hide you signature in the aftermath. Really talented people could hide it when they are casting the spell initially, but that is very rare," Padma said.

"As for how it affects spells? Well… you might be able to tell if someone is casting something powerful or not if you are really close to them. You can improve this so called 'Magical Sense' with specialized training. Aurors and Curse Breakers go through such training and I think Professors do as well to a degree," Morag said.

"That part about Professors makes sense now that I think about it in more detail. I kind of figured they could just tell such things from the result of a failed spell until now," Elsa said. The others nodded to this. It was probably partly true, but sometimes a professor's response a spell going wrong is beyond just experience with teaching.

"What brought this question about, Elsa?" Lisa asked.

"Well we were kind of practicing a few spells earlier and I could kind of tell when Ron was using a lot more magic than needed for a spell. I kind of also figured out it was partly because he was using his brother Charlie's wand, once he admitted to it," Elsa said.

"Wow…" Padma said with a bit of an impressed look on her face. Lisa and Amanda seemed to have one as well. Elsa raised an eyebrow at her friend. "Well that is impressive on your end, but also on Ron's end too. I mean he isn't lead of the class or anything, but he isn't a complete idiot since he does eventually get things down. Hearing that he's been using someone else's wand this whole time is really impressive, even if he was partly compatible with it through family."

Padma's eyes took on a light of curiosity and interest regarding Ron and his wand. Elsa wasn't sure how she felt about that. "It makes me wonder what he could do with his own wand," she added as Morag and Lisa nodded in agreement.

"It would be kind of cool if he was a good bit better with the right wand. That can make a huge difference," Amanda said. She then giggled and added, "It would be kind of crazy but still awesome if it turned out Neville was in a similar situation. Then the other Gryffindor boys apart from Harry in our year might actually be worth keeping an eye on."

"That never occurred to me regarding Neville," Elsa said in thought. She then gave a hum and said, "I don't think that is the case with him, but it is worth thinking about on some other time. I think his deal is he gets nervous when put in the spot light. I mean he is actually really good at potions when he doesn't have Professor Snape breathing down his neck."

The girls looked to her curiously about this. She blushed a little and said, "What is it?" They just looked at her. She then looked to the side and said, "I mean I do kind of know this because I help him with Potions. He just needs to be away from Professor Snape. He's really impressive when it comes to the plant ingredients as well. He actually knows a lot about plants."

Padma nodded to this. "I've heard he's become the star of Herbology lately." She then blushed a little as she said, "My sister's even said he'd be a hot deal if he wasn't the way he is in other classes." This seemed to cause the others to giggle a little. Elsa didn't really giggle. She just gave a smile at the suggestion.

She hated how she was having mixed feelings on such a statement. There was a part of Elsa that wanted Neville to be seen as cool. It would be good for his confidence and it would also show that she had good tastes when it came to picking her friends. There was also a part of her that didn't want some other girl coming in and stanching away one of her friends.

"Still it is impressive you can sense magic like that, Elsa. It isn't unheard of, but it is rare. I've heard Dumbledore was kind of like that when he was younger and a student here, but it could be a rumor. I've even heard he was able to levitate the whole school. There are a lot of myths around Professor Dumbledore," Amanda said.

Elsa was in thought with that for a moment. Soon though, the conversation in their dorm room took off for the night. They talked about Dumbledore myths. They talked about boys. They talked about classes and, once again to Elsa's astonishment, they talked about boys. Elsa still found it a little strange how often the girls of Ravenclaw, the house for the wise and intelligent, talked about boys and other such things. She never really said it to Hermione, but the girls of Ravenclaw seemed to at times act very similar to how her female friend from Gryffindor described Lavender and Parvati. Elsa guessed she didn't mention it because she didn't want to ruin Hermione's dream of what being in Ravenclaw was like.

They did have their deep intellectual discussions and then they would talk about how hot the lead singer of the Weird Sisters was. They would talk about the latest make-up trends in "Pop-Witch" and have a debate about the limits of interpretation to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration regarding the five principle exceptions. They even had discussions about how big or small a role Astronomy had on magic in all of its forms and why they had to have such a class. Padma really would get heated about the importance of astronomy in magic beyond just the moon. Morag went on and on about how they really only needed to actually pay attention to the moon and nothing else.

{-} {-} {-}

Yes. Ravenclaw wasn't quite as stereotypical as Elsa first thought. Ravenclaws were just more ordinary. It was something she loved, but also found a little difficult dealing with at times such as when they had normal girl talk. Fortunately, if it got to be too much for her, she just mentioned how Ravens shouldn't discuss such things like this so much. She could just hide behind the nickname the Weasley twins gave her and the others would listen. She did find it kind of interesting how even though she was just Elsa Evergreen to everyone here, even with the Ravenclaw Princess nickname, they still would listen to her a good bit. She guessed it was just her natural queenly demeanor.

" _Perhaps that's why Draco seems to sort of kind of behave himself around me?_ " she thought.

Draco was a bit of a mystery to her. He was decently polite to her usually and refrained from saying certain thoughts about Harry and the others. She knew he was still mean to the others in classes and when she wasn't around. However, she didn't really get on his case because from what she could tell he got just as good or better than he gave. Harry and the others didn't really like him, but most of the time it seemed they didn't really get too carried away with each other.

Ron loved to blow things out of proportion, but Draco did the same regarding Ron. Elsa was pretty sure with those two it was more of a Family feud than anything else. She had shared this thought with Neville, Harry and Hermione. The four of them came to an agreement that they would keep that in mind when it came to those two. They wouldn't just stand by if things got too intense, but they wouldn't really add fuel to the fire either. Draco and Ron didn't seem to really care or notice this was going on around them and carried on as always.

" _Speaking of Draco…_ " Elsa thought to herself as she looked to her side. She was in History of Magic currently and again Draco was sitting next to her. Maybe he often did this because despite there not really being assigned seats the students kind of gravitated to certain areas in the classroom anyways. She then looked back behind her and as was usually the case, Pansy was sitting there and sneering at her and occasionally trying to mutter things about Elsa to the girls nearby hoping to get a rise, but usually her efforts had little if any effect.

Pansy was very much an annoyance and not very nice either for the most part. Pansy loved to say mean things about Hermione around Elsa since she knew the two of them were friends. It didn't usually last for long though before someone got annoyed and shushed her and surprisingly it was Draco a great few times. Elsa guessed he responded like that because Pansy usually tried to have such conversations in a class he considered training for the future. He wasn't yet to the level he could concentrate in the most boring class with Pansy carrying on and on loudly without getting annoyed himself.

Elsa after a little bit decided maybe now was the time to handle the Slytherin girl. She had some form of a plan on that front. "Draco?" Elsa asked getting his attention.

"Yes?" he replied looking to her. Elsa did occasionally talk to him in class, but not too often and she did so after seeing if he was in a talking mood or not. It seemed today he was, which made sense because it was another review day again. The students were pretty sure Professor Binns simply forgot they had already had their review day yesterday. He was even going over the same exact material.

"I was curious about something as a means of better understanding Magical Society. Your family's status is very well known," Draco swelled at this mention of status even if she didn't specify what status she meant. "What do the future Lords of the Malfoy family usually look for when deciding on their future Lady Malfoy? I was thinking they would have certain aspects they measured in a way along with the usual factors."

Pansy was mixed between yelling at Elsa for daring to ask such a question and wanting to know herself. Her curiosity won out in the end and so she listened from where she was sitting while trying to let people know her displeasure at Elsa asking such a question. It wasn't very effective. Anyone listening in cared about Draco's answer and not Pansy's thoughts on the matter.

"I actually looked into that on my own over the Holidays. The answer was actually surprising," Draco said and Elsa took note he hadn't just gone to Daddy Dearest for the answer. "Blood status is important naturally."

Pansy perked up here and felt proud of herself. There were few girls who could better prove their blood status than her and her family.

"But there are some exceptions to an extent and it isn't the only thing that matters."

Pansy was surprised by this as were a couple of others right nearby who also started to listen.

"Of course, we don't choose muggleborns, but if magic has just somehow provably skipped a couple of generations and the woman in question has other factors going for her then an exception can be made," Draco explained.

"That is interesting," Elsa said curiously. She was more shocked than she should be. She did know some about the Malfoy family's past given their families' business dealings. It was still different hearing Draco say such things himself.

"I know right?" Draco asked her rhetorically.

"What are these other factors?" Elsa asked. She could tell he wanted her to ask the question and she wanted to know the answer.

"Her performance in school with magic and her intelligence are one," Draco said.

Pansy frowned to this. She wasn't at the bottom of the class, but she wasn't at the top either and everyone knew Elsa was at the top and even Pansy wouldn't get on her case about that, because everyone also knew Elsa wasn't a teacher's pet. A teacher's pet would stand up to a professor and more or less say they were disappointed. Pansy wasn't sure why it was she was comparing herself to Elsa, but she couldn't help it. In Pansy's mind, she was constantly at war with the Ravenclaw Princess despite there not really being a reason to it and it was most likely one sided.

"That would make sense. It would be useless to have a Lady in the family who wasn't intelligent. Does the performance with magic also mean their magic prowess? Is it something watched for over the years given our magical cores are still growing while at Hogwarts?" Elsa asked.

Draco nodded. Pansy was a little uneasy about that. She was in top form, but there were moments where she could sometimes swear she felt Elsa's power along with others nearby. If the Ravenclaw Princess' core was still growing then she would be very powerful in the future.

"Their family's wealth is also something taken into account. It wouldn't be prudent for a Lady Malfoy to be unfamiliar with money before she married into the family," Draco said.

Pansy wasn't sure where she stood here, at least compared to Elsa. The Parkinson family were wealthy and everyone knew it. They weren't on the same level as the Malfoy family, but even among the richer pure-bloods they were higher up the chain. Elsa however was an unknown in that regard.

Pansy could tell Elsa was from a rich family and a very rich family at that, but she didn't know to what level their wealth was. She knew what Elsa considered casual clothes and while the fashions were different from current trends they many times felt ahead of the curb or timeless and the clothing was of high quality. The even bigger mystery was Elsa's uniform. It was the Hogwarts' uniform, but anyone who knew a bit about clothing could tell Elsa didn't get her uniforms from Madam Malkin's like everyone else including the Malfoys. Elsa's uniform was of higher quality and the girl kept it a mystery where she bought it.

"I'm guessing that means having a good business sense is strongly encouraged if not required," Elsa said.

"Business sense can be taught and that is something all Malfoy Lords will acquire before they get to the step of considering marriage. So not really a must. However, like you said it is very much appreciated and encouraged for the future Lady Malfoy to have in advance," Draco said.

Pansy frowned there. She didn't really have much business sense. She wasn't raised with such emphasis, but she could learn it when the time came. Though she would admit if Elsa's claim about having learned accounting already along with the other things Pansy had garnered the enemy girl knew were true, then Elsa had the lead there currently.

"Another thing we look for regarding our future wife is her beauty and grace," Draco said giving a side glance to Elsa.

"What do you mean by Grace?" Elsa asked wondering what the answer was.

"Well her poise, balance, and posture," he started. A few girls nearby straightened up where they were sitting. "It is also the way she conducts herself in public and dancing as well," he finished.

Elsa actually smiled here. "Do you mean like Ballroom dancing?" she asked wondering. She didn't know much about wizarding society, but if balls were a part of it along with ballroom dancing, that was a huge plus in her books.

"Yes. I do," Draco said. He might have elaborated but he could tell Elsa wouldn't let him.

"I love dancing! I've taken many lessons and classes in several subjects before coming to Hogwarts, but Ballroom dancing was my favorite. Anna also loves it as well. She would argue she loved it more than me," Elsa said.

Draco actually gave a chuckle as he said, "I'm guessing you wouldn't let her get away with saying that however."

Elsa shook her head. "There are many things I am willing to put up with from my little sister, but claiming to love dancing more than me is not one of them." Some of the others who were listening to the conversation laughed at this.

"I'm wondering, Elsa. Did you take music lessons as well?" Draco asked.

"I actually did. Like I said I had a lot of schooling before coming here. I always looked at my Dancing and Music lessons as part of my free time though," Elsa answered.

"Did you learn an instrument?" someone asked from nearby curiously. They kind of wondered what richer people in the muggle world were like.

"Yes, I've actually learned two instruments. I know how to play the harp, though my preferred instrument is the flute. I don't really do so in front of others, but I also know how to sing," Elsa answered. She loved music and felt a bit excited that it seemed even in the wizarding world music was still appreciated and not just replaced by magic.

"Ya know…" started Morag. "There's a choir here at Hogwarts. I think Professor Flitwick is in charge of it, even. I don't know if they perform or anything, but it is a thing."

"Really?" Elsa asked.

Pansy was angry here and tuned out whatever it was they were talking about. It wasn't relating to Draco anymore so it didn't really interest her. Pansy did know she was pretty, but she couldn't deny that Elsa was as well and she hated that. She also hated how much attention Elsa was getting from the others.

" _Little miss Perfect Princess…_ " She thought to herself angrily. She then gave a bit of a nasty grin as she mentally added, " _I'll show that perfect face of yours…_ " Pansy now had an idea and would enact it once they were on their way to Herbology. Ravenclaw and Slytherin usually traveled to the greenhouses together and there wouldn't be any pesky teachers or prefects to get in the way.

Elsa noticed Pansy was up to something. It seemed her plan and curiosity had really gotten to the girl. She also knew it wasn't over yet and was pretty sure Pansy would try something on the way to their next class. " _Really… I wonder just how sly and cunning the snakes in that house really are,_ " Elsa thought. It was so obvious Pansy was going to try something and her plan was rather obvious too. It would involve magic and it would happen on the way to the next class when they were outside in front of the others.

{-} {-} {-}

Once History of Magic was over, Elsa stood up and her Ravenclaw friends came over to her. "I don't like the look Pansy was giving you there at the end of class, Elsa…" Padma said with a frown.

"Don't worry about it," Elsa assured them. She then added quietly, "You might want to make some space around me on the way to Herbology though." Padma and the others weren't sure about this but nodded. They planned to give some room but not to be too far away.

Pansy watched as the other Ravenclaws seemed to talk about something together and leave Elsa alone. She thought this was perfect. Draco and the other Slytherins were nearby to witness what was about to happen. She would show them all she was better than the so-called Ravenclaw Princess.

Pansy kept some distance so she could catch Elsa off guard. She then pointed her wand at Elsa and said, "Locomotor wibbly!" Elsa heard the spell and managed to gracefully dodge the spell before turning around and facing her assailant. Pansy wasn't about to give the girl a chance to counter attack though and shouted "Diffindo!"

She was hoping to cut Elsa's uniform and embarrass her, but Elsa again with ease dodged with a slight graceful movement. This time though she didn't just dodge. Right before Pansy could shout another spell, Elsa calmly said, "Silencio" and thus silenced Pansy making her unable to cast another spell.

The other students could only watch as the short fight took place and all of them were impressed Elsa used a high-level spell like the silencing charm, but it oddly enough seemed fitting they felt. If anyone in their class could cast high level charms it would be Elsa who was the best at Charms, even Hermione would admit Elsa was better at Charms than her. The students watched as Elsa said, "Not very cunning. Not very graceful either, Pansy."

Pansy was fuming and would have shouted but couldn't because of Elsa's spell. Elsa just kept walking towards class even as several students laughed at her response to Pansy. Draco was in thought as they continued going towards the greenhouses. He was starting to think maybe he should distance himself from Pansy. He kind of liked her because he thought she said some funny things at times and she was always willing to go along with whatever he was planning. He would stay as Pansy's "friend" but only so long as she was useful and didn't keep making a fool of herself in front of others like that.

By the time they got to Herbology, Elsa calmly without much effort removed the silencing charm from Pansy and said, "Wouldn't do for Professor Sprout to wonder why one of her usually talkative students couldn't say a word."

As far as Elsa was concerned, the Pansy Problem was dealt with. You could try to attack the Slytherin girl in private, but she would attack back. You could probably even attack her in front of others and she would attack back. Letting her make a fool of herself in front of the one person she seemed to care more for than herself, especially in such manner, and the pure blood girl, who really cared about status, would not retaliate at least not anytime soon. The only exception was if you were a Gryffindor, but Slytherin didn't usually have a bad relationship with Ravenclaw. It wasn't a best friends' relationship either, but it wasn't hateful.

Pansy was fuming again, but decided after having embarrassed herself earlier maybe she should fly below the radar a little bit. Elsa wasn't one to start things, but it was clear now she was one to end them and do so in a very precise manner. Pansy just hoped the damage she had done to herself wouldn't last. Sadly, it would last with the people who really mattered though she didn't know it at the time.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: The Dragon Extraction Plan

The weekend after Elsa learned about Norbert, she kind of spent more time with her roommates. She felt a little bad about how she had been treating them lately. She saw them as good friends and enjoyed their company, but she wouldn't deny that she might have a bit of a preference towards her friends in Gryffindor. She also couldn't really blame this preference on the fact they were planning on what to do with Snape either. She just liked being around Harry and the others more.

It was now Sunday evening. Elsa was approached by Harry and questioned. "So, did you ask your roommates about the whole magic sense thing?"

Elsa was a little surprised Harry cared that much about such a thing, but realized she probably would be in the same boat if the tables were turned. She gave him a smile. "I did! They said that it is normal in a way. I might be a bit more advanced in it than others, but that also isn't unheard of. I would guess since I've been aware of magic for a good while now and I had all of my training with my family, which included meditation, my magic sense skills really improved beyond what is typical for some witches and wizards, especially those our age."

Harry felt oddly relieved to hear that. He wasn't sure why, but there was a part of him that didn't want Elsa to be too amazing, if that made sense. Maybe he was concerned she might decide he wasn't worth knowing if she was too amazing compared to him. The explanation she gave also made him feel she was more approachable than she would have otherwise been regarding the magic sense thing. It was simply because she knew of magic longer and trained instead of just being something she was naturally born with already. She also didn't seem to be about to say something along the lines of, "What you can't already tell exactly how much magic those three people each just used? Wow… I thought you were better than that."

Harry really did have a bit of a preference towards Elsa compared to even his other friends in Gryffindor. It wasn't by much, and he chalked it up to having met her sooner, even if it was just by a few minutes. He really didn't want to lose his first and best friend. Ron, Neville and Hermione were more or less tied together and he cared for them, but he usually wasn't about to do something that Elsa didn't like. This was part of the reason he in an odd way tolerated Malfoy and just let him and Ron go at it to an extent usually which the two didn't seem to mind.

Despite all of this, there was a part of Harry that felt Draco did for some reason want to be tolerant of him. Harry also wasn't as much of an idiot as he might have seemed on the train. He realized that Ron and Draco really went at each other a lot and right away. " _Heck. Draco doesn't usually even have something against Hermione apart from jealousy and her being a 'teacher's pet' in the end,_ " Harry thought to himself. This was kind of a big deal considering all of the things he learned about the Pure Blood families.

Hermione being a muggleborn wasn't a plus in Draco's eyes, but he didn't usually bring it up unless he was really trying to show off to all of the Slytherin first years. Even then, it felt as if Draco saw mentioning that as the low hanging fruit anyone could use. That wouldn't do for a Malfoy, even when it came to insults.

As the month marched on, Harry was surprised how relaxed it was. Well, relaxed when you didn't count Norbert, or the tensions they had regarding Professor Quirrell and Snape. Though oddly enough it seemed as if there was much more to Professor Quirrell than the stuttering, weak, and terrible Professor he was. It had been more than two weeks and it seemed the professor was still holding strong against Snape somehow.

The only thing that had really surprised Harry apart from Professor Quirrell's resilience against Professor Snape, was when Elsa talked to him before the Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw game. "I hate to break it to you, Harry. But honestly, I kind of have to root for Ravenclaw here. I mean I do want you to do well, but I have to root for my own house," Elsa told him.

Harry nodded to her words, but he was really confused. Elsa was and wasn't on his side for this game? He didn't really get how that was possible. In the end it didn't really matter, Gryffindor ended up winning and he had caught the snitch within the first twenty minutes of the game. The rest of his team did really well against the Ravenclaws as well.

Once the game was over and they were away from everyone, Elsa was interesting again. "I'm not happy you beat Ravenclaw, but I am happy you did such an amazing job as seeker, Harry," she told him. He wasn't sure what to make of this either, but just went with what Hermione was telling him to do.

"Just go along with Elsa. Tell her Ravenclaw played a good game in public at least. It doesn't really matter if that is the case or not in your eyes. Also, don't dwell on it too much in private," Hermione said. She then sighed and rolled her eyes, "Ron will probably be enough of a nightmare as it is, even though he isn't on the team."

Things more or less went just as Hermione said they would. Ron was super confident and overly smug about Gryffindor winning against Ravenclaw. Harry was even a little disappointed in him because of this. Elsa wasn't really big into Quidditch, even if she seemed to really like watching Harry play, but Ron was acting like Ron was the reason Gryffindor won.

Harry decided that while Quidditch was probably the best sport ever, his ginger haired friend took it way too far. Ron was probably lucky Elsa just brushed aside what he said. Eventually, it seemed Ron realized to let it go before things got too out of hand. Ron decided that as much as he loved Quidditch, it wasn't worth pissing off Elsa, a good friend of his, just to gloat. This was sadly enough a huge leap in maturity for Ron regarding Quidditch.

Classes seemed to go much easier now that they were all used to the way of things. DADA and History were both still horrible, but everything else was good. Ron even seemed to realize how much he needed to overpower his wand for spells to work properly and as a surprising result was doing better in classes. Elsa and Hermione were still very much the top of the class and competitive with their classes and grades, but the two girls seemed to keep their understanding they established earlier in the year.

They didn't try extra hard to get lots of bonus points from assignments to outdo each other and they didn't let their friendship suffer. Harry, Ron and Neville were impressed and a little scared of how their two female friends managed this. They were glad the two didn't get too intense with their rivalry. They were scared because every now and then that hidden and contained competitive side reared its head between the two. Despite all of that, Elsa and Hermione seemed to end on friendly terms every time and it also seemed in a way the two grew even closer as a result. It really didn't make sense to Harry how that happened.

Another thing that was both surprising but not really, was the way Norbert kept growing. "I told you all they grow really fast," Ron said one night as they sat together in their entrance hall hide away. The truth was Norbert was getting too big. They were surprised Hagrid and the dragon managed to live together in that relatively small hut. They all agreed it was only a matter of time before something happened and all of Hogwarts learned about Norbert. This might not be as bad of a situation if it was actually legal to raise a dragon on your own. However, Norbert was getting to be big enough that he would have to stretch his wings in the Forbidden Forest soon. That, they knew, would be the end of it all.

Ron gave a sigh. "I'll talk to my brother Charlie and see what he has to say on it. Hopefully he can work out some way to get Norbert out of here without getting into trouble."

"Good thing you've been counting on this from the start," Harry said to Ron. Ron had told them right away that if there was a problem he would contact his brother. The dragon reserve where Charlie worked was always looking for new dragons. It probably would have been better if they reported this right away, but they had all kind of developed a soft spot when it came to Hagrid. The giant of a man was just so friendly and he was knowledgeable when it came to magical animals and did know how to take care of them.

However, things had gotten to a point where that no longer mattered. They were having to help out with Norbert a lot more than they probably should have to in the first place. They were just first years, and none of them had really looked after an animal apart from Ron who had Scabbers, and the rat didn't really do anything that needed attention for the most part. He just ate and slept.

Both Harry and Elsa had owls, but they got those recently and owls were really smart and took care of themselves. Neville had Trevor, but the toad was almost always missing only to later reappear at the most random times. One of those times was in the middle of a Potions class, needless to say Professor Snape was not pleased. Hermione had always wanted a cat, but her parents never let her get one. They always said she was too young for a pet.

"Hopefully, it won't take long for you to hear back from him," Neville said to Ron.

"Probably won't. Charlie is serious about Dragons and he's always liked Hagrid. He's told me the two of them would talk animals a few times each week back when he was here," Ron said. He then sighed at the whole situation. "I'll let you all know when I hear back. We just need to figure out how to sneak a dragon around without getting caught and where to sneak said dragon to in the castle." He gave a short chuckle, "Not a bloody big deal at all."

Neville was in thought. "We'll have to fit it in something that will keep it from escaping on the way to wherever we meet your brother. Maybe a box of some kind."

Hermione looked to Harry and asked, "Do you think your cloak would be big enough to cover a box and a few of us?"

"I'd have to see, but that would be a great idea if it does," he replied.

"Then we just need to figure out if and when Charlie can come and pick up Norbert along with where," Elsa said.

Harry gave a sigh this time as he said, "Well no point in wondering now. We need a response before we can do anything," Harry said as they all nodded and got up to leave.

As they were leaving Elsa spoke to Ron, "Can we go and send the letter now, Ron? I have parchment and a quill. I think the sooner we get that letter out the better. Hermod will be more than willing to deliver it for you. He is a powerful flier."

Ron nodded and the two walked off to the owlery together. "So, have you given anymore thought about what I said regarding your wand?" Elsa asked after a little while.

Ron slowly nodded his head. "I'm doing well now with the wand. I figured out how much more power I need to use." He could tell she was about to rebut him, but he cut her off. "I also have an idea how much more I would be able to do if I wasn't having to add so much more power to my spells for just the standard effect."

"Glad to hear it," she said.

"I'll bring it up with my mom once the year ends. I'm sure if I point out everything you did she will listen to me. Maybe Percy and the twins will help as well," Ron said.

He then turned to her and frowned a little causing her to pause in step and look at him. "I don't like that you pointed out the whole not being able to save Harry or any of the rest of you, though."

Elsa's expression didn't change as she said in an even tone, "I was merely pointing out the importance of the issue." He looked her over for a minute. She then broke into a slight smile as she added, "Once you have a proper wand, I would feel confident in you covering our backs as we would yours."

Ron seemed to be satisfied hearing that. He then said as he turned around, "I've already thought how to handle things in the gauntlet taking that into consideration. It would be best if I could get a proper wand before then, but not very likely if at all. They don't take kindly to you leaving Hogwarts unless it is for an emergency. If I couldn't do even the most basic of spells without complete disaster every time and told them I was using Charlie's wand, then they would let me go get a new wand right away. That isn't the case though."

"Is passing down a wand something common in the wizarding world? I kind of mentioned it to my friends in Ravenclaw and they didn't seem too shocked to hear you were using your brother's wand," Elsa said leaving out they were impressed with him as a result of hearing it.

"It is and it isn't," Ron started. "It was a tradition with families in the ancient past. They saw mastering a family wand as a sort of rite of passage and in some way a passing of the mantle. Advances in wand making since then have made wands far easier to come across so many families don't bother anymore. Even before that for a long while, it was customary for a witch or wizard to make their own staff using runes instead of wand cores."

"That sounds kind of cool," Elsa admitted.

"It was if the stories my dad told me are anything to go by. The things wizards and witches of the past were able to do were really impressive. Merlin used a staff instead of a wand after all and even muggles know him fairly well. Same goes for Morgana, even though she was able to use wandless magic," Ron said. Once they arrived to the owlery, Elsa gave him some parchment and a quill. Ron was in thought for a minute before he wrote the letter.

 _Dear Charlie,_

 _I know I haven't written much, but I really don't have a lot of time for this one. Hagrid has a very interesting and, to him, misunderstood new friend. He mistakes this friend's love of burning things for being precious and doesn't seem to mind its venomous and sharp mouth. This friend keeps getting bigger and bigger too. It really is astounding since they haven't even known each other that long. Soon Harry, Hermione, Neville, Elsa and I fear it will be too big for the hut and this friend isn't exactly allowed._

 _Hagrid calls his friend Norbert. He's Norwegian and has a "ridged" back as Hagrid calls it. Hagrid treats Norbert like he's a baby despite how big he keeps growing. They both need help before things get worse in general though. Norbert is rather unpleasant but still Hagrid treats him like a precious little tyke more or less. Anyways, I figured you would be the best one to help here given your expertise and experience along with the friendship you formed with Hagrid when you were studying here._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Ron_

Ron read over the letter a couple of times and had Elsa read over it as well. She seemed to guess it would work given the rush. Elsa then called over Hermod, who swelled with pride when Ron said, "I've heard you're a strong flier, Hermod. Can you take this to my brother Charlie Weasley at the Romanian Dragon Reserve?" Hermod hooted with pride as he stretched out a leg for Ron to tie the letter to. "Good bring back a response as soon as you can." Hermod seemed to look at Ron as if this request was unnecessary because all great owls like him would naturally do so.

"Good boy, Hermod," Elsa said with a smile as she patted him on the head causing him to swell in happiness before then taking off quickly into the night. "Hopefully your brother gets back to you soon, Ron."

"I hope so too," he replied as they left.

{-} {-} {-}

Fortunately, it didn't take long for Charlie to reply to Ron. A couple of days after he sent the letter they got a reply from his brother.

 _Dear Ron,_

 _I can help you out. I will be in the area on Saturday Night with a couple of friends. I like Hagrid, but he has a much different understanding when it comes to new friends at times. The problem is we can't really be seen with this friend of his. Can you get him up to the tallest tower Saturday Night? It might be better to just meet at the hut, but he is close to the forest and that could complicate things._

 _Get back to me when you can on this matter. That owl was a very prideful owl, but we loved him._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Charlie your best older brother_

 _P.S.: due to the urgency on this matter reply by using the old Weasley method after attaching your response separately._

Ron shared the note with the others and they thought it over. It was going to be tight and they didn't like the narrow hallways leading up to the tower. Sure, they would have the invisibility cloak maybe, but that didn't mean they were intangible or anything like that.

Elsa thought over the route and frowned. She knew of a much better way. She pulled out a piece of parchment and started drawing on it. The sketch was roughly recognized as Hogwarts. She even had the old ruin towards the back of the school on it. She then presented it for the others to see. "Can your brother and his friends meet us here instead?" Elsa asked as she pointed to the old ruin.

Ron looked at it confused but nodded. "Yeah, but how are we going to get there? That part of the castle's been unreachable from inside since well before my parents were here. They told me tales about the forbidden ruin of Hogwarts."

"I know of a way. Just trust me on this. If he can meet us there, it will be much easier for us all," she replied.

Harry looked Elsa in the eyes and seemed to come to a decision. "If she says it's a better way then it is."

Ron gave a sigh to this and attached the letter he wrote asking his brother to meet there instead and explained they would work it out on their end. He then pricked a finger and a drop of blood dripped on to the word "older" on the paper. He then closed his eyes in concentration for a moment before opening them and pushing magic through to the letter. It glowed a bright Weasley hair colored red before the attached letter seemed to burst into flame.

"Woah!" Neville and Harry said in awe. Elsa and Hermione just watched in curiosity.

"Does like every family in the wizarding word have old magic of some kind?" Harry asked.

Ron and Neville nodded to this at the same time. Ron spoke first, "I know the Potter family had a lot of it too."

Harry frowned to this. "How come I was never told?"

Ron looked away so Neville responded. "Well… There isn't anyone left to tell you about it. I'm sure you could find a lot of scrolls and books in your family's main vault."

Harry looked to Neville in surprise. "I've seen my vault. There was nothing like that. It wasn't that big either…"

Neville shook his head. "That's probably a trust vault for your years here at Hogwarts. You can't access your main vault until you are at least 15 and only then because you are the last of your family."

"Is it like that for everyone?" Hermione asked. Neville seemed to really know his stuff when it came to older wizarding families.

Neville would have looked perplexed if he hadn't gotten used to his friends not knowing about the wizarding world. "For the most part, Yes. I mean if an older family member was with you then you could enter and see the main vault sooner. There are very few exceptions to this and I've heard you have to jump through a lot of hoops for that privilege with Gringotts. Even the Malfoys wouldn't bother doing so for that extra boon."

Elsa was in deep thought to this. She was guessing her ancestors did jump through those many hoops unless they weren't around at the time her family's vault was made. She could go and see the Arendelle Royal Magical Family vault whenever she wanted now that the goblins had taken stock of everything. It only took them until the holidays, which was impressive considering everything. At the same time, she knew when it came to sharing knowledge, her family found a different method which she had come to really like.

Harry was busy dreaming about what possible magic and other information there would be in his family's main vault. Maybe there would be a family portrait of his parents! Harry briefly thought back to the mirror with longing as he frowned. Even after all this time away from it, there was still a part of him that wanted to see his family in that mirror again and just sit there. "It really is a terrible thing for people like me…" he muttered.

"What, mate?" Ron asked.

Harry blinked and blushed as he looked away. "Sorry didn't mean to say that out loud."

Hermione seemed to nod after a second's thought. "I can see what you mean. If I was in your situation I would want to know all I could about my family. That law makes sense, but it is inconvenient as well."

Ron and Neville gave solemn nods to her words. Harry gave a sigh. "Yeah, but there isn't anything that can be done about it now," he said. He noticed Elsa seemed to not buy the easy out he took. Fortunately, at that moment there was another bright Weasley colored hair blaze as a new letter appeared in Ron's hand.

 _That will be perfect_

Was all it said. "Well that settles it. Saturday Night we will sneak an illegal dragon off Hogwarts' grounds," Ron replied in a very casual manner as if he was talking about a mundane cloud in the sky. After the troll early in the year and learning about the stone and Snape, it did seem as if this was just par for the course at times.

Hermione was looking at the letter as it turned to ash and then disappeared. She had so many questions she wanted to ask! The only thing that kept her from asking her questions was she knew it wouldn't be right to ask about private family magic and Elsa would really disapprove of her behavior on the matter. She instead started coming up with all kinds of ideas she would make for her own family magic, even if they were very broad and rather lofty at the moment. She still found the prospect of making her own family magic very exciting. It was also an option available to her because she was the first in her family to have magic.

{-} {-} {-}

It took a couple of days, but they were able to convince Hagrid it would be best for Norbert to be among his own kind and free. They were looking at the box Hagrid made for them to carry the dragon to the extraction point. They weren't sure why Hagrid put in a bunch of hay. They were pretty sure Norbert would turn it to ash soon enough once inside.

Hagrid gave a big sniff and blew his nose on his table cloth sized handkerchief. "I'ma miss tha lil tyke! I guess its fer the best," he said before blowing his nose again.

Ron looked at the dragon again. He reached a hand out and was going to pet the dragon since Norbert hadn't minded it lately. This time it seemed the dragon wasn't going to have any of that and bit Ron quickly. "Ouch! Stupid dragon!" Ron said as he looked at the bite. It wasn't too deep fortunately, but it was still bad.

"Wha ya doing ta Norbert?!" Hagrid roared.

"He bit me!" Ron said as he started to sweat and look paler.

"Ya startled tha poor tyke! Get out now," Hagrid said.

While they didn't like the abrupt dismissal, they didn't waste time. Ron's eyes widened as he said, "Oh no… The venom…" He then started to sway.

"Woah woah…" Harry said while he and Neville reached out and grabbed him.

"We got you, Ron. Let's get to the Hospital Wing," Neville said as Hermione led the way.

"Wait a minute… is he… is he… Singing it a lullaby?" Ron asked after they left the hut. Indeed, that seemed to be the case as the friends heard Hagrid singing terribly from behind them.

They quickly got Ron to the Hospital Wing. "I don't even want to know," Madam Pomfrey said as she looked over the results of the scans. She then started going to work. Once she had finished her job, she looked to the students including Elsa who had joined them soon after they reached the wing. "He'll be staying here until next week. There's no two ways about it." She then shooed them off.

"So, Norbert bit Ron?" Elsa asked once they told her what happened. They nodded. "And Hagrid yelled at you all and sang Norbert a lullaby?" She asked in disbelief. They again nodded. She sighed. "It's bloody good… Sorry language… It's good Norbert's leaving tomorrow then. I can't believe Hagrid…"

"I'm sure he was just upset about Norbert leaving. I'm sure he would have been better about the situation otherwise," Hermione stated.

"Will we be able to get Norbert out without Ron?" Neville asked.

"Should be able to. Ron mentioned us in the letter so Charlie will understand if we tell him who we are and what happened," answered Harry.

"Will the cloak fit us all?" Hermione asked.

Harry looked a little doubtful, but slowly nodded. "It won't be needed for long," Elsa said.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"The route we're taking won't require the cloak. We just need it until we get to a certain point, so we can manage even if our feet are showing or something," she assured them.

Harry raised an eyebrow at her in question. "Yes, it's one of those kinds of passageways. A little bit different, but still good enough," she answered knowing what he was wondering.

Hermione seemed puzzled by this exchange, but could tell she wouldn't get answers at the moment. She instead sighed and said, "I really hope this will be worth it."

Neville looked at her as if she had just said something horrible. "Hermione… Don't jinx us like that. Harry and I are already here with our unique brand of bad luck. We don't need to go making things worse." Hermione gave a nervous giggle to that. She might have just blown it off as superstition, but they were kind of right. This was the magical world. Maybe such things actually could be jinxed like that.

{-} {-} {-}

Saturday really took its sweet time to pass. Usually having a long Saturday would be amazing, but Harry, Neville, Hermione and Elsa were each anxious to get the dragon extraction mission complete. They finally made their way to Hagrid's hut a little earlier than needed because they wanted to at least be ready to start quickly and go to the meeting place.

As the clock ticked down and Hagrid said his many goodbyes, Norbert seemed indifferent to everything. The friends were each in a way envying Ron at the moment. He was lying in the hospital wing and didn't have to worry about getting caught smuggling an illegal dragon. Harry decided a few days in the hospital wing was worth the tradeoff.

Finally! It was time to go. The sun was really low and they could barely see in the twilight, but they could make out their path. "Wait! Norbert needs his favorite teddy," Hagrid said as he threw a ragged old teddy bear into the box with Norbert and closed it up. "Bye bye, lil tyke!" Hagrid said with a final sob.

Neville gave a sigh and looked out the window to make sure the coast was clear. It wasn't. "Oh great! Hermione… You just had to say **that** , yesterday didn't you? We need to get going now!"

They all four got into place as Harry quickly threw the cloak over them all and Hagrid opened the door to his hut. "Draco Bloody Malfoy looked through the window for a split second!" Neville answered the unasked question. "I don't think he saw the dragon luckily… You know our unique brand of bad luck and all, but he knows we're up to something we shouldn't be up to."

"It doesn't matter now. It will take him time to find a professor. We'll be in the passageway before then. They'll probably stop looking once they realize they can't find us sneaking around the castle," Elsa said.

"Plus, only us, Ron, and Charlie's crew know where we're going to be," Harry said. He really wished that the cloak was bigger despite this. It was barely able to conceal them all and Norbert. He prayed no one would see their feet and the bottom of their robes before they got to the passageway.

Hermione seemed extra determined not to say anything more until after they were at the meeting place. The group made their way through the castle quickly and quietly. They were following Elsa's lead. She led them through the entrance hall and then down a corridor that went to where the Hufflepuffs usually disappeared to after meals.

Shortly after that they were standing in front of what looked like a wall with a painting of three Beautiful women in sheer dresses dancing in a circle. There was another woman sitting to the side on top a pillar wearing a darker dress but smiling lovingly with bright almost white blonde hair.

Elsa reached out to the sitting woman's pillar and whispered breathily "Kjærlighet". The dancing women in the portrait stopped and smiled at her before singing a very low and beautiful song that Elsa and the others could only hear, even Norbert seemed to stop being a pest for the song. It was in a language that none of the others apart from Elsa were familiar with.

The wall and portrait seemed to fade away into nothing before opening up into a large, wide and beautifully lit corridor. The corridor seemed to actually be cleaner and in better shape than most of the castle. The group walked into the corridor and as soon as they entered, the wall behind them immediately returned and looked as if it had no magical properties at all.

The group walked in silence for a moment and Harry had taken off the cloak and stored it. This mission was much easier without trying to crouch and keep from being seen. Harry felt good in his heart. He had gone out on a limb here and trusted Elsa without any idea what she had planned. It wasn't easy for him to just do that, but it seemed to be worth it when it came to Elsa. Maybe it would be with his other friends as well.

"What is this place?" Hermione asked as she looked around in wonder. There was a long continuous mural on the wall to their left with witches and wizards flying gleefully together and cheering. On the right was a large panoramic view of Hogwarts, but the castle in this mural was whole and clearly in its prime as sunlight broke through white fluffy clouds and what looked like flocks of birds flew around the castle.

"The ruin we are going to is an ancient runway of sorts," Elsa started. "A place to take off from, Neville. For flying."

"Wow…" Hermione said.

"This corridor leads to the runway. The doors on the side were a sort of barracks used by Hogwarts in the past," Elsa continued.

"Barracks? Like for a military?" Harry asked.

Elsa nodded solemnly, "Yes. The wizarding world wasn't always peaceful like it is now. There was a time where wizarding nations would fight wizarding nations or knights in armor would go on quests to defeat the Witches and Wizards of old."

"Hogwarts was caught in the middle of that?" Neville asked in surprise. Elsa again nodded. He was shocked for a moment. "I suppose that makes sense. Hogwarts is a castle for a reason after all and this was the place where everyone came to learn magic in the British area."

"So, this was an area for a wizard air force?" Hermione asked. She looked at the flying witches and wizards in a different light this time.

"Yes, it was. But it was also a place for the students to take off from for races and all kinds of other fun events. Quidditch wasn't the only wizarding sport. When they had enough students in the past, they would have a sort of broomstick flying Olympics. They would have other flying shows as well," Elsa added with a smile at the thought. She could only imagine how wonderful it would have been to see a flying show at Hogwarts Castle.

Hermione felt a little more at ease with the mural of the flyers. She also guessed the mural of Hogwarts was to serve as a reminder of what it was they were regretfully having to fight for during that time. She turned to Elsa and asked, "How do you know this? There is nothing about this in Hogwarts, A History. I would have already known otherwise."

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "Do you really find it surprising that a modern book wouldn't be able to explain everything about the past? How much do we not know about the middle ages on the muggle side of things? How many unsolved mysteries are there still of the past even after learning about magic?"

"I see your point. Muggles have forgotten things in the past. Why would wizards be too different," Hermione said.

"Yes, and there are always people who meddle with history. I can see some Wizard or Witch deciding not to talk about our more violent past with the muggles. Muggleborns have enough of a stigma as it is at times. I don't think erasing history or re-writing it like that is a good idea, but I'm not some Grand Sorcerer Queen of England," Elsa said.

Hermione was in thought as they finished their walk. She took in a deep breath as she saw the view before them once they exited out into the night again. The ancient runway was a ruin, but it had a certain beauty to it. She could imagine what it might have been like in the past when it was functional. She could see what looked like benches used to watch people taking off in a race, or launching into the sky to perform a beautiful broomstick ballet. It was an odd feeling, but Hermione could almost swear the very ground she stood on wanted to tell its story.

{-} {-} {-}

The group made themselves comfortable. They had to wait awhile for Charlie and his crew to arrive. "Well one good thing about this wait," Neville started. "It means there is a greater chance they will give up trying to find us and just write Draco's warning off as a first year trying to get others in trouble."

Elsa leaned back a little from where she was sitting on the ground and smiled as she took in a deep breath. "The night breeze here feels nice as well." Harry could have sworn his heart jumped a little when he saw Elsa relaxing like that. He decided it was probably his imagination.

Hermione was laying on the ground looking up at the stars while she swayed her feet to some beat she could only hear. "I like this place. Thanks for suggesting this as the meeting place instead of the Astronomy Tower, Elsa." The place was quiet and calm. "We'll have to come back here sometime when the sun is out." She looked at a few trees that had grown near them and looked at the places where grass seemed to be growing on top of the stone.

"I'd like that too," Harry said.

They all waited there and the only interruption they had was when Norbert decided his favorite teddy was far too wonderful and perfect for this lowly and cruel world. He sent it on to teddy bear heaven by biting the head off. The burb of fire actually caused them all to laugh a little. They were thankful Hagrid treated the wood so it wouldn't burn.

Shortly after Norbert's teddy passed on, Hermione went "Oh! I see them!" She then pointed into the sky where four figures on brooms holding something that looked like a harness came into view.

The group waved at them as the broomstick riders came into view. They seemed to be a cheery lot and it was easy to make out Charlie Weasley right away. Elsa gave a smile as she said, "I'm guessing you're Charlie?"

"Oh?! Good guess! How could you tell?" he said with a smile as he ran a hand purposefully through his hair. Elsa gave a giggle as the other men laughed. Charlie then gave a shocked expression as he said, "Is Ron dying his hair to look the same color as mine again?! He's been doing that since he was born." This caused the others to all laugh.

"I'm guessing your Elsa. You're Hermione. You're obviously Harry and you must be Neville," he said pointing to them each in turn. He then gave a serious frown as he asked, "Where's Ron?"

"He got bit by Norbert. We took him to the hospital wing straight away. He's fine now, but Madam Pomfrey is keeping him there for the weekend," Harry said.

"Ahh… Well tell him I'm glad he's safe and healthy once you see him again," Charlie said a little saddened he wouldn't be seeing his youngest brother tonight. He then looked around the area and whistled. "You know even after I got a broom I never bothered to actually fly over and look at this place. It really is something. What was it?" he asked.

Once Elsa briefly explained the place again, he and his friends showed them how the harness worked. They then quickly got Norbert sorted out and took off with a final farewell to the group of friends. The group of students then left together and stayed under the cloak, which was much easier without a dragon in a box. It didn't take long before they were ready to part ways.

"Are you sure you don't want to take the cloak, Elsa?" Harry asked. He tried to get her to take it. He pointed out the three of them being up this late together wouldn't be much of a shocker really and easily explained.

Elsa shook her head. "No, I'll be okay." She then gave a bit of a playful and teasing smile as she said, "You don't think that's the only really great secret passageway I know do you?"

Elsa's demeanor caused Harry to blush a little bit. "No, I don't," he finally stumbled out an answer. Elsa smiled at them and waved before disappeared around a corner.

{-} {-} {-}

As Harry, Neville and Hermione quietly made their way back to the dorms, Hermione said, "I really have to get her to show me that archive sometime. I bet that's how she knew of the secret passageway and all of that about Hogwarts' past. I bet it has some really old books from around the founding of the castle. It would be so very interesting to read them."

Harry took off the cloak and said the password. They were free now. They had made it. He was really relieved. "I just glad that's finished," he said.

"I'm glad we weren't caught," Neville added.

"We should let Ron know tomorrow," Hermione said. "I wonder if he'll be upset he missed everything."

"And I wonder what it is three first years are doing out and about in the castle so late," An all too familiar voice said. Professor McGonagall gave them a stern look from where she was sitting in the Gryffindor Common Room close to the entrance.

"Ummm… studying?" Harry said in a poor attempt at explanation. He was sure she didn't buy it even before she said anything.

"Studying… sure. It seems Mr. Malfoy won't be the only one to serve detention for tonight. He was very adamant about watching me catch you lot, including one Miss Evergreen, out of bed tonight. He was going on and on about dragons and smuggling and secret rendezvouses. It was really quiet the fascinating tale he was spinning. I was very surprised when I came here and discovered three of my students were not in their house this late, even if it was a Saturday Night," she said her stern look not letting up on them at all.

Neville gave a sigh and said, "I really had to go and say **that** , tonight. Didn't I?" Harry slid to the ground exhausted. Hermione gave a whimper. Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow curiously and shook her head at the three of them.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Punishment and the Forbidden Forest

Elsa let out a breath. This was a really bizarre situation she was in at the moment. Professor Flitwick seemed a little lost as to what he should do. It seemed Draco went to Professor McGonagall, and being the dutiful Deputy Head she was, she went to Professor Flitwick. She told him she heard one of his students might be out of bed and possibly in trouble. Professor Flitwick, being the Dutiful Head of Ravenclaw he was, checked on this and waited for the missing student to return.

What made the whole thing bizarre was the fact Elsa's Head of House was asking her if he should punish her or not. He knew she was royalty. When she usually wasn't caught getting into trouble, it was easy to deal with and see her as a student, but now she was actually caught out of bed well past curfew.

What also didn't help the strangeness of the situation was Elsa's reply, "What is the usual punishment for being caught out of bed?"

"In the case of Ravenclaw, it is 25 points and detention," his tiny voice squeaked in return.

"Well then give me that punishment. I mean you should regardless. I was just wondering what it was," she said. It was really weird telling a teacher to punish her.

"Yes, your Highness!" Something that again compounded the strangeness of the situation was the way he addressed her. Fortunately, they were alone and that was why he let her actual title slip. "That will be 25 points from Ravenclaw and a dentition. Do try not to get carried away studying in the future, even if that is unlikely," he concluded with a wink.

Elsa went to bed that night with a bit a surreal feeling. She had never levied an actual proportional punishment against herself. It was just plain bizarre. The grounding for life from chocolate incident when she was younger didn't count. It was just her younger self getting carried away. When she returned to her dorm room for the night, she was relieved, though she shouldn't have been, to see her fellow Ravenclaw girls already asleep.

{-} {-} {-}

"Of course, you will all three get detention," Professor McGonagall said to the exasperated sighs of three first years. "And forty points from Gryffindor."

"Forty?" Harry asked not sure what to think about the point loss.

"Yes, Forty each!" Professor McGonagall replied. She might have gone to fifty each, but it seemed they weren't antagonizing Draco like she first thought. They would have been back sooner if that was the case. She still wondered how Draco found out they would be out of bed though. She strongly doubted a group of first years were smuggling dragons out of Hogwarts. That was just plain absurd!

Harry now knew what to think about the point loss. It was really bad. That was 120 points in total. He decided if Hagrid ever got his hands on another illegal dragon they would go straight to Professor McGonagall or Headmaster Dumbledore. No question about it. They really should have done so this time honestly.

The three defeated and exhausted first years marched to bed without complaint. Professor McGonagall was actually a little surprised by this. She figured they would have still complained even after she told them it was forty points each. She hoped they had learned their lesson, but she wasn't so sure about that.

{-} {-} {-}

The next morning things were interesting and not necessarily in the good kind of way. For Elsa it wasn't too bad, she made a bit of a formal apology to Ravenclaw when they learned she was caught out of bed too late. It was something Ravenclaw seemed to just understand as something that happened. It seemed the claws had a habit of staying out too late and usually because of studying, so what Flitwick said worked into her favor. They even still stuck with the nickname the Weasley twins had given her. It was just they now knew their Ravenclaw Princess had a bit of a rebellious streak. Some found this to make her more intriguing.

In Gryffindor things were different, the students first thought maybe there was a mistake. They then asked around thinking it was the infamous Weasley Twins. Rather quickly the partial truth started to circulate that it was Potter, Granger and Longbottom and Draco had found out they were up to something and exaggerated the tale. The lions weren't happy with the point loss and showed their displeasure at the three by mostly ignoring them.

Draco had become a bit of a temporary disappointment to his house. Professor Snape confronted Professor McGonagall about the twenty points she took from his house. "A student shouldn't be out past curfew regardless of circumstance. The fact he was spinning wild tales and I had warned him at least twice is more than enough reason for the points and detention, Professor Snape."

"Twice…?" Professor Snape questioned dangerously.

"Yes, at least twice. He was insistent that he see me catch the other students thinking that would somehow make up for it," she answered calmly back.

"I see…" Professor Snape said lowly. He then marched over and scolded Draco for getting caught out of bed and. "Of all the dunderheaded behavior, I have seen. I expected this least from a ' _cunning'_ member of my house. Ten more points, Mr. Malfoy… Next time don't get in trouble." He then marched back to the teacher's table with a frown as he ate his breakfast.

The scene actually caused Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Gryffindor to laugh at Draco's situation. They didn't care that Snape's gripe was Draco getting caught and not his behavior. The only thing that mattered to them was one of Slytherin's favored students was scolded and lost his own house a total of 30 points.

Badgers would snicker about, "That's what happens to back stabbing tattle tells". The Ravens shook their heads at Draco's stupidity for ignoring warnings. The Lions just cared about a Snake getting in trouble period. They still didn't forgive Potter and the other two though.

Ron was of mixed feelings. He hated his friends were in trouble because of Malfoy. He hated that he wasn't there to help them, but he really loved the idea of Draco getting in trouble. Draco didn't even bother to mutter "My Father…" before sitting down quietly.

Monday mostly went as Monday usually did at Hogwarts. It was half boring and half interesting for the first years. Draco chose to sit in the back away from everyone during History and kept quiet throughout the day. Elsa was a little surprised she had noticed this and even felt it was more strangeness on top of everything else. " _When did I grow accustomed to Malfoy sitting next to me in History?_ " she asked herself in surprise. She didn't even seem to care that he had in essence gotten them in trouble. Maybe it was because she felt they kind of did ask for some trouble by even thinking of smuggling an illegal dragon on their own.

During the course of the day, Harry had come to realize he was again hated by everyone. He supposed the fact Elsa was also caught out of bed the same night and thanks to the display at breakfast he was at least spared the rest of the school's wrath. He wasn't spared their disappointment. No one bothered to keep quiet when they said things like, "Shame about Potter and Gryffindor. He finally let all of that fame get to his head and thought he could get away with anything." Usually there was a follow up of, "Well at least he isn't a no-good tattle tell like Malfoy. I never thought I would see the day Snape took points from his own house so openly."

During the next few days things were not great for Harry Potter in Gryffindor. The house at large didn't bother hiding their dislike of him for losing the points. Stories had transformed in a way that Harry was the one solely responsible for the point loss. He had just dragged the other couple of stupid first years into his scheme. Hermione and Neville weren't hit as hard as he was by everything, but the house did ignore them for the most part. Ron tried to cheer them up about this blowing over in a few weeks. "I mean Fred and George have lost loads more points. Heck people even thought they were the reason for the point loss in the first place."

"Have they ever lost that many points in one go?" Harry asked with a sigh.

"Not really… Still this just means you need to really do awesome in the upcoming Quidditch games, mate! That will change it all," Ron said with a grin.

"Maybe I should resign," Harry said to his friends with another sigh.

"Resign?!" two voices said. "Are you mad?! How else are we getting those points back?!" the two voices again said before Ron blinked and looked to Oliver who had just been passing by as Harry spoke.

Even practice for the best sport ever, wasn't what it used to be. The team seemed to be upset at him and mostly ignored him during practice. They started calling him only as "The Seeker…" when they spoke about him. It was actually starting to get to him even if he did his best to just focus on practice.

After a couple of weeks of this, Harry was at his breaking point. He wasn't sure why either. He'd never really been affected by insults before like this. One day Harry finally let it out. "Why the bloody hell do they care about some damnable trophy like the stupid house cup?!" he said aloud while he was alone with Elsa. "If they knew anything, they wouldn't be like this."

Elsa calmly spoke to him. "This is what it's like to keep important secrets, Harry. To protect Hagrid, we can't tell them we helped smuggle out an illegal dragon. We can't even tell them what we know about the stone and Professor Snape for fear of him learning we're on his trail if they even believe us."

Harry sighed. That was the truth. He thought to when they mentioned their suspicions to Hagrid back before Norbert and before Hermione and Elsa fully believed them about Professor Snape. Hagrid knew about the stone, but wasn't intentionally forth coming on information and he didn't believe them when they shared their suspicions about Snape.

"You're right. It still annoys me though," Harry said. He looked to her and asked, "How do you do it, Elsa? How do you not let it get to you?"

Elsa looked to him for a moment before answering, "It does get to me a little. I hate the way your own house has turned against you, Hermione and Neville. Getting too angry about it won't help though. Plus, I have been taught how to keep secrets and what all comes with such a responsibility. I've been having to keep my magic a secret from Anna because of the accident despite all of the memories involving magic we shared in the past."

She looked down as she added, "There were other smaller incidents that happened when I was younger before the accident. Anna was there for them all and she loved it. We had fun when I kind of accidentally animated a snowman one time. It was one of our favorite memories from before it all. That memory was changed to something far less amazing but still some fun. One time we both wanted a sled to go much faster and my magic seemed to kick in and it did go much faster. We were racing through the woods near our home and going off snow ramps and everything. Anna was really good at steering the sled and we performed some amazing stunts. That fun and precious memory was changed to something rather boring by comparison, even if it was still fun."

She looked at Harry and continued "I have practice with keeping secrets and having to go with the narrative. Sure, they aren't to the same measure as the ones now, but still I know what it is like. I've fondly remembered those times and even mentioned them in their new state wondering if the feelings of the time were still the same somehow. They weren't. Anna just looked at me a little concerned but still with love in her eyes as she told me I remember the strangest and most normal things at times. Those memories were shared by the two of us alone before the accident happened. After it happened, I'm the only one who remembers them properly. At least in this case, there are a few of us who know the truth and we can talk about it with ourselves. After the next Quidditch game, I'm sure most of the school won't care anymore about this and you will go back to being Harry Potter or The Boy Who Lived again in their eyes instead of the seeker."

"Am I blowing it out of proportion? Should I not be bothered by this?" Harry asked as he sat down. He wasn't used to this kind of stuff but Elsa was. It was one of the things he liked about her. She would help without it feeling like a lecture. Hermione's heart was always in the right place and she could be helpful, but it more often than not felt as if he was being lectured by a teacher, even if it was a teacher who genuinely cared.

Elsa was in thought for a moment. "Maybe a little, but there is probably more to it. Why does it bother you so?"

Harry thought about it and frowned a little. "I guess I just liked being well… you know… liked by so many people."

"Why did you like that?" Elsa asked.

Harry might have felt a little uncomfortable with such questions, but Elsa seemed pretty open to him usually and she was Elsa. "Before Hogwarts I was always shunned by others. My cousin didn't like me and he's a big bully so most people avoided me in school. I guess I liked being popular for a change. I've never been popular before. I've never been a sport's star at my school. I've never been on a team. It annoys me how quickly that seemed to change. I thought teams were really something, you know. I hate how even they ignore me like they do."

Elsa walked over and gave him a comforting hug. Harry appreciated her actions and was actually thankful to have huggy friends like Elsa and Hermione. "Like I said it will blow over, Harry. And the rest of us aren't about to just turn on you. That sounds like an improvement from the past."

Elsa took a seat again and asked, "How come your Aunt and Uncle never did anything about your cousin?"

Harry was silent for a moment before he gave a sardonic laugh. "They think Dudley's a bloody saint. Sorry about the language… They don't really like me too much anyways. My Aunt had a really bad falling out with my mother. She and Uncle Vernon really detest anything that isn't 'normal'. They knew I was a wizard from the start and tried to stamp out my magic… The couple of times I did accidental magic didn't help either, since it was in front of others and almost always got me in trouble."

He then sighed. "No one ever believed me when I told them I wasn't sure how it happened or that it was completely by accident." Harry was surprised how he was feeling more and more resentment towards the Dursleys as he spent time at Hogwarts and equally surprised he didn't mind talking to Elsa about such things. He usually didn't bother others with his problems and life.

Elsa noticed Harry's hesitation while he was speaking about his aunt and uncle. She further believed there was much more going on that Harry wasn't saying, but she wasn't going to push him on the topic. "Well its good things are different now then, even if they are bad currently." That seemed to be enough for Harry to feel a little bit better for now. Things were bad currently, but they were so much better than before he found out about Hogwarts.

{-} {-} {-}

Harry frowned at the note he just received. Hermione and Neville had similar notes. He looked behind him and saw Elsa also had one and he noticed Draco's face was a little paler than normal. He figured that meant the Slytherin had it as well. The note was simple and short.

 _You will be serving your detention tonight. Meet Mr. Filch in the Entrance Hall at 11pm with your wands._

The note was signed by Professor McGonagall.

Harry really wasn't looking forward to late night detention with Filch. He was sure the caretaker would have too much glee in punishing them. They heard he seemed offended they were caught by Professor McGonagall instead of him. Harry mentally thanked Elsa for changing their meeting place. He was sure if they were at the astronomy tower, like first planned, they would have been caught by Filch instead of McGonagall and probably a lot sooner. That would not be a good thing.

Despite his dread, Harry wished time would go by faster. He wanted this detention business over and done with as soon as possible. Instead, time ticked by even slower it seemed. He even managed to finish all of his assignments and still had time to spare. He really wished time flowed like this when he was having fun and things were better. Tonight, though, there was no fun to be had. Neville and Hermine didn't want to talk and Ron was keeping quiet because of this. Elsa was in Ravenclaw. They weren't about to risk getting in anymore trouble, so they didn't even meet up after dinner like usual in case something unexpected happened.

{-} {-} {-}

It was finally time for their meeting with Filch when they left. There was a bit of a silence as the three of them stood up and marched out of the common room. The second they disappeared Ron was assaulted with questions. "I can't believe they're going out again like that! What are they thinking?" a couple of students asked Ron.

Ron frowned at them and narrowed his eyes. "They're going to detention with Filch." The students' eyes widened hearing that.

"They got detention? With him?! This late?" Lavender asked in shock.

"Yeah. What did you expect?" Ron asked.

"Oh well… We knew about the points, but we thought that was it… At worst we figured they would just have to write lines or something. You know," Dean admitted.

"No. They got points and Detention with Filch," Ron clarified. Suddenly the students felt a little bad about how they had been acting towards them. They were upset about the point loss, but they didn't think the group deserved a late-night detention with Filch.

When the three arrived, they noticed both Elsa and Draco were already there waiting. Elsa had a hint of coldness to her demeanor. Draco still looked paler than usual. "Humph! Don't even have the decency to show up for detention on time," Filch said as he glared at them.

"They're ten minutes early, Mr. Filch," Elsa corrected in her 'queen' voice. Filch looked at her and scoffed to the side. He didn't really dare to give her too much lip for some reason.

"Come on. We haven't got all night," he said. He then grinned cruelly and said, "Well actually I do have all night, but you lot don't." They followed him and went outside.

"W-w-where are we going?" Draco asked nervously.

"You lot are going to help Hagrid tonight. Pity they don't allow the same punishments they used to. Used to be you were hung by your thumbs for a couple of hours. Or at the very least shackled up to a wall stripped down to your small clothes while you were hosed down and whipped," Filch said, his mind going to past memories he had with some lovely ladies with an entertaining mean streak. Draco, Hermione and Neville all three gulped not at all noticing Filch's wistful smile. Harry and Elsa didn't gulp. Elsa was coldly clam and dignified in her demeanor. Harry was just wishing things were over with already, but part of him was thinking it might not be too bad having detention with Hagrid.

"Ah yes those were the days," Mr. Filch continued. "Bet you'd think twice about breaking the rules if that was what you had to do for detention instead. I still keep the cuffs and shackles well-oiled in case we ever go back to those good old days." He seemed dreamy, a little too dreamy, almost as if he was thinking about something else entirely different from what he was originally talking about. Elsa was the only one to notice. The others, including Harry, were too busy thinking about what detention was going to be like.

"I think it says more about your past time activities than anything else that you keep cuffs and shackles handy, Mr. Flich," she said calmly. Filch flinched and paused for a second in his step. It even seemed as if he was blushing a little as memories of Mistress Bethany came rushing back to him unbeknownst to the students.

He then turned to Elsa with a glower expecting to see her giving a smug look. He was caught off guard by her completely neutral expression. He then covered for himself by saying, "I bet you think it will be easy tonight. Don't you?"

He looked them each in the eye. "You're wrong…" He then gave them a cruel smile and said, "You'll be working in the Forbidden Forest tonight."

Draco seemed to turn even paler, if that was possible. They all seemed to pause in their steps. Draco spoke first, "But it's dangerous in there… It's forbidden… Students aren't allowed in there."

"Should've thought about that before you broke the rules. Did you expect you'd just have to write lines or something?" Filch asked. Draco's nervous swallow seemed to answer with a yes, he did think they would just write lines. Elsa seemed to still be calm.

Once they were at the door to Hagrid's hut, Filch called out to him. "I've brought the troublemakers with me, Hagrid." There were booming barks from Fang and the door opened to reveal Hagrid with a crossbow and a few satchels on a large belt.

"Good then," he answered as he came out with a couple of lanterns also attached to the belt.

"I'll be back in the morning to claim what's left of them," Filch said with an evil smile.

"What're ye talking about?" Hagrid asked.

Filch frowned at him. "The forest is dangerous."

"'Course it is. Ye think I'm going to just let them roam the forest alone?" Hagrid said looking a little confused at why Filch was saying these things.

Filch ignored Hagrid and turned to the kids. "I'll be back later," he said with a smile that still was a bit intimidating Harry thought.

"Obviously ye will be ta take them back to their houses," Hagrid said with a raised eyebrow. Filch looked like he wanted to say something more, but just shook his head and walked away.

"What are we doing?" Elsa asked. Draco still looked scared and the others were staying silent.

"Follow me," Hagrid said as he led the way into the forest. "We need to look for something that's been killing tha unicorns lately."

Draco paused in step. "Isn't that dangerous? I thought you said you wouldn't just let us wander in the forest alone."

"Ye won't be either. There ain't nothing in there that will harm ye if you've me or Fang with you," Hagrid answered. He then paused and looked down on the ground. "That's what we're looking fer."

The others gathered around. "This silvery stuff here is unicorn blood." He looked around and sighed. "A bit of it here. Looks like it were staggering around. There's two trials it looks like. We got ta split up."

"I want to be with Fang then!" Draco demanded.

"Are ye sure? Fang's a right coward," Hagrid asked. Draco seemed to think Hagrid was joking so he nodded. Hagrid shrugged and continued. "Now what ye need ta look fer is traces of silvery blood. Follow the trail until you reach a point where it is easy to follow or preferably you see the end and then send up green sparks."

Hagrid then turned to them and asked, "You lot know how ta do that right?" They nodded. "Show me." They all sent green sparks into the sky.

"Alright if ye get hurt send up red sparks and stay where you're at. Understand?" Hagrid asked. They nodded to him.

"Good we're here." He said as they all stood in front of the forest.

"I still don't like this. What kind of punishment is this work? When I tell my father…" Draco started.

Hagrid cut him off with a laugh. "He'd tell ya that's tha way it is at Hogwarts." Draco didn't reply to that. There was a part of him that believed Hagrid, even if he didn't like or have much respect for the giant of a man.

"Now then…." Hagrid hummed in thought. "Draco and Neville, you two stay together with Fang and go left." He pointed to a pathway into the forest on the left in front of them. "Hermione, Elsa, and Harry. You three are with me. We'll be going to the right."

Once they had walked a little Hagrid turned to them and said, "I just wanted ta say sorry ye got caught up in all this cuz of me. I'll tell Neville the same before you lot head back."

"What's killing the unicorns?" Hermione asked. She was feeling a little more at ease and taking comfort in Hagrid's presence while speaking quietly.

"Don't rightly know. That's why we're looking tonight. Usually we find the unicorns dead when it's too late. I'm hoping we can find one that's just wounded and save it. Whatever it is. It's something desperate. Ye have ta be, to kill a unicorn."

Hagrid then heard something rustling nearby. He motioned over to a nearby tree. They got behind the tree. Something rustled right by them. It sounded like a cloak slivering somewhere unseen in the woods.

"That's got ta be it. Let's keep going. We've on tha right track," Hagrid whispered. They then heard a loud crack nearby. Hagrid brought up his crossbow at the ready. "Come out of there! I'm armed!" he said not trying to be quiet this time.

A moment later a man appeared. For a second, Harry thought he had really long legs or something because he was really tall. Then Harry noticed the body of a horse appeared from the forest attached to the man's waist.

"Ahhh… Sorry about that Ronan," Hagrid apologized lowering his crossbow and walking up to shake the man's hand.

"Good evening Hagrid," Ronan replied in a baritone voice. "It seems you have company with you this time."

"Ah yes these are students," Hagrid replied. "Harry Potter. Hermione Granger. Elsa Evergreen," he said and pointed to them in turn. Ronan's eyes seemed to pause a split second longer on Elsa. "This here is Ronan… He's a centaur." All three just nodded in greeting.

"Students? Learn much at the school, do you?" Ronan asked.

"Yes, we do," Elsa replied easily. Harry just tried not to stare too long at the Centaur. He never thought he'd see one in real life. Hermione also seemed distracted by him.

"Say, Ronan. Have ye seen anything strange in the forest lately?" Hagrid asked.

Ronan seemed to take a while to answer but said, "There is much hidden in the forest depths." He then looked to the sky. "Mars is bright tonight. The stars have been acting very different as well as of late," he said.

"I see… So, have ye seen anything? Something's been killing unicorns," Hagrid said.

Ronan seemed as if he was seeing something in the Night's sky as his tail seemed to whip about anxiously. "Mars is bright tonight. The stars have been different as well as of late. It is very **unusual** behavior; along with other things," he said as he again seemed to look at the students.

"Ye don't say?" Hagrid replied in a manner showing his patience was being tried here. "Back to what I was saying about the unicorn…"

"I see. It is always the innocent who die first. As it has been many times before," Ronan replied.

Hagrid was about to say something when the bushes rustled and another Centaur emerged. This one was large and black and had a wild look to him. He had black hair and a black beard. "Hullo, Bane," Hagrid greeted.

Bane shook his hand and replied in a deep voice, "Good evening, Hagrid. Are you doing well?"

"Yes I am. Yerself?" Hagrid asked.

"Good," Bane replied before looking to the night sky and replying, "Though Mars is unusually bright tonight. And the stars have been acting strange as of late."

Hagrid gave a sigh and rolled his eyes. "Who are you, three?" Bane asked looking to the trio of students.

"Harry Potter," Harry answered first. Bane looked at him with judging eyes.

Elsa went next. "I'm Elsa Evergreen." Bane seemed to take a bit more interest after hearing her name and looked at her as well. He then glanced once more at Harry and turned to look at the last girl.

"Ummm… Hermione Granger…" she replied meekly. He looked at her too for a bit of time.

"What are you doing in the forest tonight, Hagrid?" Bane asked.

Before Hagrid could answer Ronan spoke, "The unicorns."

"Well Mars is unusually bright tonight," Bane said as if that answered everything.

"Listen. We've heard all about Mars. Have ye seen anything going after the unicorns?" Hagrid asked his patience clearly gone by this point.

They didn't really answer.

Hagrid sighed. "If you see anything can you tell me?"

Bane seemed to give a curt nod and then said, "Until next time, Hagrid." Then he and Ronan bounded away back into the forest.

Hagrid gave a scoff after them. "Never try an' get a bloody straight answer out of a Centaur. Always going on about the stars and such."

Shortly after the centaurs left, they heard a bang and saw red sparks in the air. "Come on then. Let's hurry!" Hagrid said taking the lead, the others doing their best to keep up.

{-} {-} {-}

Draco didn't like this forest at all. Fang seemed to be walking very slowly following the blood trail and whimpering the whole time. Draco found this disheartening. He also didn't like how calm Neville seemed. The boy was far different from what his father said he would be like. Neville started out timid, but now the only time Neville seemed timid was when Professor Snape was breathing down his neck in Potions. Neville was scared of casting even the simplest of spells at first in the year, but that quickly changed as well. Draco didn't get it.

They kept walking in silence for a good while until Draco suddenly thought he saw something move in the bushes. "Ahhh!" He unintentionally screamed out loud.

Neville quickly jumped and spun around with his wand out. Draco was startled by this but quickly started to laugh. "Oh, you should have seen your face, Longbottom. Priceless!"

Neville frowned and turned back around. Draco however made sure to make a show of his laughter to cover up he was actually the one scared. He accidentally stumbled backwards and in a panic sent up red sparks before he fell on his behind.

Neville rolled his eyes and mumbled, "Serves you right."

Soon after that, Hagrid came bursting through the forest followed by Harry, Hermione and Elsa. Draco was startled by this as well, but played it off with laughter once again.

"What in Merlin's beard happened here?" demanded Hagrid. Draco stopped laughing. He may have no respect for Hagrid, but he didn't want to anger him. The game keeper was massive and strong.

"Draco here thought it would be funny to try and scare me. He stumbled backwards in laughter and shot up the red sparks by mistake," Neville explained.

Draco chuckled a little more to emphasize that this was completely his plan all along. It was definitely not because he was scared of the forest. Nope… If anyone said that, he would call them a liar.

Hagrid let out deep sigh. "We'll be lucky to catch anything now." He looked at Draco who was now standing up straight. "Alright, this is what we'll do. Harry, you and Draco continue down this path with Fang. I'll take Neville, Hermione and Elsa back with me ta the other path. I'm betting he'll think twice about trying to scare you for a joke," with that they split up and continued.

{-} {-} {-}

Harry, Draco and Fang continued following the path deeper into the forest. The blood trail was getting thicker and easier to follow. Harry didn't like that. He also noticed Draco actually seemed to be a bit scared. Suddenly Harry had a feeling things had gone down differently than Neville thought.

"This is a lot of blood…" Draco said weakly. "Maybe we should send up the sparks here?"

Harry was now certain of what actually happened. Draco didn't try to pull a joke he was actually scared, though part of Harry couldn't blame the Slytherin for feeling uneasy in the Forbidden Forest. He shook his head. "Hagrid told us to find the actual Unicorn first."

A couple of minutes later they saw it. There was something white and almost glowing laying on the ground. It looked like the glow was dimming. Then Harry noticed it wasn't alone. There was something else on the other side of it. Something in a black cloak with sharp pointy blood-stained teeth. It looked up at them and growled.

"AHHHH!" Draco screamed before running off with Fang right behind him.

Harry's eyes widened as the creature jumped at him. Harry barely dodged out of the way in time as it sailed right over him. Harry quickly turned around and reached for his wand, but his scar started hurting unexpectedly and sharp enough his eyes almost watered. The cloaked creature jumped again at Harry. Before the thing reached him though, a different centaur bounded from the woods and slammed into the thing. The thing, whatever it was, screeched in pain as it hit the ground.

"Quick! Get on, Harry!" the centaur shouted.

Harry didn't hesitate and quickly jumped on and the centaur took off into the forest again quickly. The thing seemed like it tried to chase them but not for long. They were too fast for it.

Harry got a better look at the centaur. This one looked younger than the other two. He had lighter skin and white blonde hair with a blonde coat on his body. "What was that thing? Who are you?" Harry asked.

"My name is Firenze. What do you think it was?" he asked in a voice that sounded calm despite what just happened.

"I don't know what it was. But my scar hurt," Harry admitted.

"Why do you think it was drinking unicorn blood?" Firenze asked.

"I don't know…" Harry replied. He really wished he knew more about things in the magical world at times like this.

"Drinking unicorn blood will give you eternal life so long as you do so regularly. However, it is not a lasting solution," Firenze said.

"Why not?" Harry asked.

"Because you have slain something innocent and pure to do so. Tell me do you know what Hogwarts guards?" He asked.

"The stone! It can give you the Elixir of Life!" Harry said.

"Who would want something like that in particular that you think would cause your scar to hurt?" Firenze asked in a manner that sounded like a Professor leading a student to the right conclusion without saying it.

"Voldemort!" Harry said in shock. It made sense. Snape didn't want the stone for himself. He wanted it for Voldemort. Everyone kept saying Snape was a death eater, but for some reason Dumbledore spoke up for him. This was more or less the sole reason the ministry let the Potions Professor off in the end at his trial.

Firenze was about to say something else when they heard more hooves coming their way. It was Bane and Ronan. Except this time Bane didn't seem polite. He seemed angry.

"Firenze! What is the meaning of this?! Carrying a human on your back like a lowly mule!" Bane growled.

"He was attacked in the forest. I had to rescue him," Firenze said holding his ground.

"You've seen Mars. You've seen the stars. You know what it means! We do not involve ourselves in human matters!" Bane roared in return.

"You've heard the name! You've seen them with your own eyes! You know the prophecies! How can you not understand what it means?! What is to come. And what our fates will be if we do not get involved?" Firenze fired back.

Bane roared at Firenze and bounded off back into the forest angrily with Ronan following him.

"What was that about?" Harry asked.

"Bane is a good leader, but he distrusts and dislikes humans. Our peoples haven't had the best of relations in a long time. I want to get along with humans and I believe our isolation is the reason things got how they did. I know what is coming and believe our people getting along better is the key to our future. He doesn't want to believe what is coming is true and it scares him on the inside. There are a lot of things that scare people even, Centaurs. The future is one such example," Firenze said.

"What were you talking about with the prophecies?" Harry asked.

"We centaurs have many prophecies. There is not enough time for such a discussion. I believe I see and hear your fellow students and friends," he finished.

"Harry?! Where are ye?!" Hagrid yelled. He heard the others calling his name as well.

It wasn't long until they came into a clearing and they were standing right in front of the group. "Firenze! It is good ta see ya. And you brought Harry?" Hagrid said as Harry climbed off and on to the ground.

"He was attacked in the forest by the creature. It has fled for now and I can show you the unicorn, but it is already too late to save it," Firenze answered with sorrow in his voice.

"Firenze helped me. Sorry about that," Harry said. Both Hermione and Elsa hugged him in relief as Neville clasped a hand on his shoulder.

Elsa turned to the centaur and smiled as she gave a slight bow of her head and said, "Thank you for saving Harry, sir."

"The honor was mine, Miss Evergreen," Firenze replied and gave a quick deep bow in return. Elsa wasn't sure, but it seemed her word of thanks meant a lot to the centaur.

"About tha Unicorn…" Hagrid said with a sad sigh. "Can ye wait around here? I need ta get this lot back to the castle."

"Indeed, Hagrid," Firenze said as they left.

"I've always like Firenze the best. He's right helpful and friendly. Too bad tha rest don't really agree with him," Hagrid said.

"I noticed that on the way back. Bane and Ronan dropped by and Bane was not happy," Harry said.

Hagrid scratched the back of his head. "Sorry ye had ta see that. They usually can at least keep civil, but they aren't usually fond of humans… Too much bad blood ye see."

"They seemed alright with you," Hermione stated.

"Well I treat them with respect and they know about me. They know I care about and respect nature and all of that. Even then it took 'em a while ta accept me," Hagrid said.

When they got back to the hut, Filch was waiting there with a very pale and scared Draco next to him. "Right then. Found all of them alright, did ya?" he asked. He didn't seem to try and be as intimidating this time. Hagrid nodded and Filch led them back. He spoke again, "Of course you wouldn't needed to be found in the first place if you didn't go around breaking school rules." Filch's warning/threat went unheard. They were all tired and just wanted to go to bed already.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Through the Trapdoor and into the Gauntlet

Hermione stood up and gave as mighty of a stretch a twelve-year girl could give. She then looked around the area again. She really liked this place. Despite the stone floor, it was incredibly comfortable. She was pretty sure it was enchanted to be. The place even had a pleasant spring breeze every so often and the trees gave plenty of shade. The runway was on the back side of the castle where there wasn't much to find shade wise down below. Up where they were though, there were some trees and other vegetation.

Hermione had wondered about the lack of shade at the back after they first arrived at Hogwarts and explored the outer grounds a little with her friends. She thought it a little strange then. Now that she knew what Elsa told them, it made sense. If you had races in the area or it was used for shows and as a military installation, of course you wouldn't want a lot of trees and such that might get in the way. People would want to see the shows unobstructed. When it came to races you could easily conjure up a track if you really wanted to. Lastly, if it was being used as a Wizard Air Force runway you'd want plenty of open space around it.

The runway, known as the ruin to everyone else, was also a place of myth, legend and superstition. This meant even students with brooms didn't really dare to venture here. All of this added together meant their group of friends were able to spend time out here without drawing too much attention and away from others. The group of course hung out in plenty of other spaces outside, but this was a new favorite.

Ron was really blown away by it when they first brought him out here after they served their detention with Hagrid. He was really intrigued by it being a former military wing. They even spent more time in the corridor on the way here since they didn't have to worry about meeting a deadline, even if Charlie still took his time that night. They actually looked inside a couple of the barracks' rooms on the way with Ron. The place was pretty well preserved.

"This is wicked!" Ron said as he looked at a board with flight formations and names as assignments. He actually wrote some of them down. "I want to see if maybe some of my family served in the past," he said. It seemed Ron really took a liking to studying things like this since he had started trying to put his more tactical thinking to the test as a way to play more chess and also contribute to their Gauntlet preparations.

"I've never really thought about aerial formations before. Nor have I ever looked at such larger scale things," He said to the others as he looked more at the boards along with the room and actually found what looked like an old set of notes of some kind. He was tempted to leave with them, but it felt wrong to do that. This place felt like it should be as undisturbed as possible.

He also loved it when they described Norbert's Extraction in more detail and showed him where Charlie and the others came from and such. They also described the harness the dragon handlers had. "Man, I wish I was here to see it all, would have been nice to see Charlie again. Mum's always getting on his case about not coming home often enough. Ginny went with my parents to visit him over Christmas as you know. She seemed to have really enjoyed it. I didn't even think how tough it would be on Ginny with only Mum for company," he said as they continued to outside.

Today the five friends were lounging out in the sun. They were a little spread out, but they also kind of joined each other every now and then. Ron and Neville were playing a game of chess. Harry and Elsa were looking over something together. Hermione had been reading a book while she laid down earlier.

Hermione went and checked on the chess game. She found it a lot more intense than she thought it would be. Neville seemed to have a really different style of play or a lack thereof, and Ron loved it. Ron would constantly have to change his approach and he loved how agile it made his mind feel in a way, if that made any sense.

The brainy Gryffindor decided not to say anything after she watched for a bit. She next looked over and giggled as she noticed Harry seemed to convince Elsa to model for more pictures. He was trying out new techniques he had learned with the massive photography book she got him for Christmas. She was glad she bugged Elsa about what she was getting Harry for Christmas. He wouldn't love the camera as much if it wasn't for the book too, even though he would still love it. They did have to tell him to calm down with it after he first got it, but he was mostly behaved with it now.

"Hey, Harry. How about I take a couple of shots of you and Elsa?" Hermione asked. She did at least know how to work the camera, even if she wasn't at his skill level. He looked a little uncertain at her suggestion. Hermione sighed and said, "I'll let you set up the shot." That got him to agree. Harry was already at a stage where a regular shot wouldn't work properly most of the time in his opinion.

Harry started looking around the runway with the camera in his hands trying to get a great shot lined up. He even sneaked a couple of shots of Neville and Ron's game. One of them was actually kind of funny because Neville and Ron's roles were reversed. Neville was usually very serious and Ron laid back. At the moment, Ron was deep in concentration and Neville was leaning back and looking up to the sky.

The amateur photographer finally found what he thought was a great frame for the shot. It was with one of the trees in the middle and part of the Ruin in the background. There was enough of the ruin to look cool, but not to give away the location. He liked the idea of taking photos in ways it wasn't easy to tell where they were shot. Maybe he thought that would give the picture more meaning or something. He wasn't sure, but he liked it.

"Alright Hermione come right here," he called to her. He then pointed to where she had to stand, told her how she had to hold the camera, where to point the camera and several other things that were overly technical for just a couple of photos in her opinion. She obliged him though because it was her idea to get him to have the pictures taken. Harry loved taking pictures, but he wasn't the fondest of being in them. "Did you understand all of that, Hermione?" He asked.

"I know how to work the camera, Harry. Go stand over there with Elsa already," Hermione said causing Harry to chuckle a little. He stood by Elsa and it would have been kind of an awkward photo if Elsa hadn't decided to grab him and pull him in closer. Harry didn't really fret or complain. He even actually smiled in a much more relaxed way than usual. Hermione giggled a little and took three photos. One of them was a close up of the two friends' faces and the others were how he instructed her. "There we go," she said once the pictures were taken.

Elsa then spoke up, "Alright now it's your turn, Hermione! You get to have a picture taken with Harry."

Hermione blushed. That wasn't part of the deal. Harry seemed to agree with Elsa and started staging up a different photo. After all, this was with Hermione and him. It had to be different.

For this photo, he picked a place where there was a broken pillar fallen on the ground with a small pile of rubble. The runway had a bit of an overhang area and part of it had fallen down long ago, but the part that remained was sturdy as ever.

"I never said anything about having my picture taken," Hermione said with a frown to Elsa.

"Well you did just volunteer me to have my picture taken with him. I figured it was only fair you had yours taken too," Elsa said with a far too innocent smile.

Hermione also wasn't the biggest fan of having her picture taken at times. It was her massively frizzy hair that bothered her. Her mom and dad thought it was just fine and she was adorable of course, but they were parents. What did they know about such things?

Hermione was the awkward one in this photo. Harry however, was happy to have a picture taken with her as well and Elsa got him out of his awkwardness with their earlier pictures. He passed forward the favor in kind. Harry quickly pulled Hermione in close causing her to blush a little in surprise and managed to get her to smile as much as she usually smiled, even if she was hiding her buck teeth.

Elsa took a couple of pictures and then gave a mischievous smile as she covertly used her powers to send out a slight cool wind. The wind hit Hermione and caused her hair to blow a little in the wind. Just like Elsa figured, her friend's hair looked less frizzy and more like a beautifully unkempt model's hair blowing in the breeze. Hermione instinctually raised a hand up to brush some of her hair back while Harry smiled and looked a little awestruck. The picture turned out to be rather stunning Elsa thought.

"Really, Hermione. I think you are a little too subconscious about your hair. It does look fine. I can't wait for you to see the last picture I took when that wind blew through," Elsa said.

Harry nodded. "I think that will turn out great, though I might look like a bit of an idiot, because I was caught by surprise there." Hermione blushed but didn't say anything. She did smile though. She doubted it would look good, but she was happy they said that.

"Checkmate!" Ron said victoriously. Neville just shook his head. There really wasn't any doubt in his mind Ron would win, but it seemed like Ron took a certain pride when he won against Neville for whatever reason. Ron then let out a breath and smiled as he said, "Good game, mate. As always."

Neville just shook his head. "If you say so, Ron." He gave a chuckle at the end.

"I'm starving. You think it's close to dinner yet?" Ron asked with a smile. The others laughed at him. "Maybe we should visit Hagrid. I could really go for one of his rock cakes now he's got them figured out and fixed that oven of his."

"Nope," Hermione said putting her foot down on the subject. "We haven't got long until exams you know. And we agreed to get started today after we spent time out here for a bit."

Ron groaned. "Another game? Neville?" he pleaded.

Neville laughed, "Sorry, Ron. I actually agree with Hermione. Better start now. We put off any longer and we'll do bad. Do you really want to have to explain to your mother why you failed a class?"

Ron sighed in an over exaggerated manner but got up. "Guess not," he said. He then laughed and said, "We'll at least ace DADA and History. We've all read the books plenty and for Quirrell's class I'm pretty sure if you just answer, 'Doesn't matter! Just run away!' for everything he'll probably give you bonus points." The group laughed including Hermione as they made their way to go study.

Hermione then snickered again and added, "I bet we can just write down the page number or chapter of the book and say look it up and pass as well."

Ron pretended to almost have a heart attack. "Did Miss Hermione Granger just make a joke about school work?" he asked a snickering Harry. Hermione gave Ron a frown that lasted for a couple of seconds until the friends all laughed again.

{-} {-} {-}

Studying really sucked in Ron's opinion, but it wasn't as bad when Harry, Neville, Hermione, Elsa and he did so together oddly enough. He still wasn't about to dare become the next Percy though. If he felt he was doing too well, he might "accidentally" get a question or two wrong just to be sure he had banked minus points. He wasn't going to bother with this for Potions. Snape hated Gryffindor. If there was one class that he was sure would keep him from becoming a younger version of Percy, it was Potions.

Speaking of which… "I'm surprised Snape hasn't gotten the you know what yet," he said after they studied for a good while. Elsa had just finished quizzing Harry and Neville on charms. She was the best at that class easily and probably felt she had to be since her Head of House taught the class.

"I'm surprised Professor Quirrell has held out this long as well," Harry said.

"There's also the fact Dumbledore has been keeping to the school more lately. Even if Snape is going after the stone for Voldemort or Voldemort is going after it himself, there's no way he'll do so while Dumbledore's in the school," Hermione said ignoring the shivers from Ron and Neville at Voldemort's name. She understood where they were coming from, but that didn't mean she was going to keep saying 'You-know-who' or 'He-who-must-not-be-named'. Harry had pointed out how silly it was to be scared of the name many times during the year. Elsa even agreed with him as well. Plus, it was easier to just say Voldemort instead of You-know-who or He-who-must-not-be-named constantly.

"I just don't get Quirrell at all…" Elsa started. The others looked to her. "I mean he's scared of his own shadow and medium-loud sounds. Heck you all even said he fainted when it came to the troll despite supposedly being an expert on them. How is he able to stand up to Professor Snape? I don't like the potions master, but I totally understand how he can be intimidating. If he wasn't holding back at all he might even get to me a little. It sounds like he isn't pulling any punches with Quirrell. How can he stand against Professor Snape?"

"Maybe it's because he realizes what's actually going on and who Snape's working for really. Maybe he actually realizes this is bigger than his own life," Ron suggested.

"I don't care how he's doing it. I'm just glad he is. We've had plenty of time to get better prepared for the gauntlet during these weeks. I'm betting we do a lot better on the exams than originally expected because of all of that," Harry said.

"Speaking of exams…" Hermione started. The others sighed but got back to studying.

{-} {-} {-}

"Ugh…" Ron groaned. "Harry? We really do just have one day left of exams, right?" he asked.

Harry was laying down and slowly nodded. Sure, they had known a lot more and were really well prepared, even if they decided to keep most of what they learned while getting ready for the gauntlet a secret. However, exams and studying for exams was still tough. When you add in how worried he was Professor Quirrell would give in to Snape any day now and Voldemort would come back in full power thanks to the bloody stone, it was a miracle they had survived. "Ron… if I ever decide to make my own stone slap me, okay?" Harry said.

Ron nodded. The bloody thing was too annoying to keep around. He would just use it to get a lot of gold once or twice and get rid of it himself. It wasn't worth keeping around when you had to constantly worry about Dark Lords coming for it, even less worth it if you were taking exams too. "If anyone makes one and we find out. I saw we require them to have to take a full month of exams the whole time while worrying about it. They'll gladly toss it out on their own after that," Ron said. Neville gave a tired chuckle to that.

Neville was surprised he had somehow managed not to let Snape get to him during the Potions Exam. Maybe it was because the evil professor stayed at his desk the whole time and demanded absolute quiet during the exam, even the Slytherins weren't stupid enough to press their luck in that atmosphere. He seemed to be in an extra foul mood as well. Probably because Quirrell hadn't given in to him yet by some miracle.

Neville's success on the exam was most likely the extra lessons Elsa had him do in addition to their Potions' study sessions. Neville had found things were coming to him easier now that he was doing that whole mediating thing. It had also cleared up the things he learned in class as well. He found it easier to be calm and he noticed he wasn't as forgetful has he used to be at the start of the school year.

Hermione was currently too busy studying for their last exam to add anything to their limited conversation. DADA was the last one they had. It seemed she had decided she would have to quote the book word for word to pass or something. She'd gone over the textbook at least three times today they'd swear.

Harry finally stood up. "I need to go for a bit of a walk and stretch my legs. I'll either be back before the exam or meet you all there," he said as he left. Ron and Neville gave him weak waves. Hermione didn't even acknowledge he was leaving. She was busy reciting the passage about werewolves to herself three times.

Harry decided he might as well keep near the Classrooms because it was a lot closer to exam time than he thought. On the way, he passed by Professor Quirrell's office. He paused when he heard sobs coming from inside. Harry crept closer.

"No more!" the man whimpered. "I'm sorry… I'll not defy you again!" It sounded as if the turban wearing professor was having a conversation with someone who Harry couldn't really hear. "I'll just go now… I have to do the first-year exam…" The man then cried and sobbed for a little while before leaving the office quickly.

Harry jumped out of sight as the door slammed open and Quirrell ran to class. Harry looked inside quickly, but he couldn't see anyone. He couldn't even see any sign someone was in there with Quirrell. " _Maybe a secret passageway?_ " he thought. It was possible. Elsa seemed to know a lot of passageways and he was sure Snape would know even more being a Professor and all. Harry was sure the hooked nosed man had probably just crept out of sight somewhere. He wanted to further examine the office, but realized he needed to hurry to DADA for his exam.

{-} {-} {-}

Harry sighed as he finished the DADA exam. He needed to just rest for a bit to let his mind calm down before telling the others what he found out.

"Don't worry about it, Mate," Ron said. Harry looked to him with a frown. Ron stretched. "Just enjoy not having to study anymore this year. Besides, Dumbledore is still here and the Professors have to teach NEWT level classes. Everyone would suspect something was up if Snape didn't hold his exams. Fred and George reckon he loves exams because it gives him an extra chance to really crush people's dreams of getting passing grades in his class."

Harry sighed. Ron was right. Plus, his headache was really bad after DADA so a little rest would be nice. His scar was bothering him a lot recently. The others were concerned, but they had kind of accepted Harry's scar hurt and that was normalish. He was also too stubborn to see Madam Pomfrey about it and pointed out there wouldn't be anything she could do anyways.

"Besides…" Ron said giving a yawn. "We have a whole week until we find out how bad we did. I really wonder what he will say when he sees I answered the question about werewolves by writing 'Reference Hermione Granger's paper and as a secondary source look on pages 473-489 in chapter 12 of the book'."

"Actually 472-490…" Hermine said automatically. She even shocked herself at her reply and blushed. Neville, Ron and Harry tried not to laugh too hard, but weren't succeeding.

"So how do you think you all did?" Elsa asked as she walked over to them with the other Ravenclaw girls.

"I referenced Hermione for my answers. She listed the pages," Ron said with a laugh earning a halfhearted glare from said girl.

"I was tempted to just answer Doesn't matter run Away for everything myself," Elsa said getting a laugh from Ron. She then smiled and added, "I did doodle a hang man game by one answer in the margin." That got a laugh from all of them.

"I certainly hope we have an actual professor next year," Padma said before shaking her head and finding her sister. Parvati gave them a friendly wave and made her way over to them with Lavender following.

"How long do ya reckon until Quirrell drops the tests and ends up hiding under his bed?" Morag asked with a smile.

"Hmmm…." Ron said pretending to actually be in deep thought on the issue before saying, "Probably by the time he gets to the fifth test. Sooner if he reads Hermione's book accurate answers. Those will probably be too graphic for him."

Hermione rolled her eyes. Ron then gave a grin as he said, "Unless of course he sees Elsa's hangman doodle. Then he'll probably toss the paper into the fire and just give everyone a good grade to spare himself further horror. He'll probably faint if he sees Seamus' paper first though."

"Why's that?" Parvati asked.

Seamus was the one to answer since he was in earshot. "I drew a bloody awesome troll and a couple of explosions!" There was another round of laughter as he walked off with Dean and a friend of theirs from Hufflepuff. Lavender seemed to giggle an extra amount at his answer and blushed a little bit.

Padma rolled her eyes at the blonde Gryffindor. She didn't mind her sister's best friend, but Padma was glad they weren't that girly and giggly in Ravenclaw, even in their extra girly moods. The large group of first years spent a while together before they finally went their separate ways for the day.

{-} {-} {-}

Over the next couple of days Harry somehow managed to let himself relax a little, but he was always in a way ready for action. It was a bright and warm sunny day outside currently and he was with Ron, Hermione and Neville out on the grounds near the lake. Elsa was hanging out in the dorm with her roommates. She had said something at breakfast about it being too bright for her and everyone was too loud. The rest of the Ravenclaw first year girls seemed to be in a similar state as well. They had probably had one of their infamous sleepovers last night.

Harry's scar was still hurting a bit and he didn't know why. It annoyed him a lot. He gave a sigh as he paced and rubbed his forehead.

"You really need to relax, Harry," Neville said with concern.

"Sorry. It's just my scar has been worse since the forest and even more so after the DADA exam," Harry said. "Do you think it is a warning?" he asked his friends.

They shrugged in reply. "Relax, Harry. Besides there's always Fluffy," Ron said causally as he stretched out.

Harry stopped in his tracks. He then slapped his forehead and started muttering, "Stupid, stupid, stupid us! How did we not see it sooner?" He then turned to his confused and concerned friends.

"Norbert," Harry said simply.

The others blinked and it was Hermione who caught on first. "You don't think?!" she asked horrified.

Harry nodded, "We need to go see Hagrid now." He led the way and started marching towards the hut.

"Any explanation for those of us who aren't the top in the year?" Ron asked with a huff.

"Don't you think it's interesting how Hagrid's always wanted a dragon more than anything else?" Harry asked. "And then someone just happens to show up in a pub with a dragon egg and lose it to Hagrid in a game of poker?"

Ron and Neville both gave groans as they understood what he was saying. "Oh, Merlin's beard… I really hope that isn't what happened, but I bet it is," Ron said. They picked up the pace.

Harry was the first to reach the hut and he knocked really loudly on the door. "Hagrid are you in there?" he called.

"Oh hello. If it isn't you lot. Finished with exams?" Hagrid asked from around the hut in his garden.

Harry and the others ran over there. "Yes. We did. But enough about that," Harry started. "Hagrid how exactly did you get Norbert?"

"I already told ya in a game of cards," Hagrid answered clearly puzzled.

"Did you get a good look at the man who gave you the egg?" Neville asked.

Hagrid was in thought. "Now that ye mention it. He was wearing this really thick cloak and had it covering his face."

"And you didn't find that strange at all?" Hermione asked in a huff.

"Ye get a lot of strange folks up at the Hog's Head," Hagrid answered.

"Did he ask you anything in particular?" Harry asked.

"Well yeah. We talked a bit. Told him I worked here as game keeper though he already knew that," Hagrid said. He then rubbed his beard. "It was after that and a few drinks that we played cards. I told him I'd always wanted to raise a dragon and then he told me he actually had an egg he was looking ta get rid of. He asked me if I could handle it. I'm pretty sure I already told ye this. I told him after Fluffy I could handle anything."

"Did he seem particularly interested in Fluffy?" Harry asked.

"Of course, 'e was. How often do ye hear about a three-headed dog?" Hagrid said to them. He then continued, "He asked how I did that. I told him that Fluffy was a sucker for music. Play him a little tune or sing ta him and he sleeps like a baby… I shouldn't have told ye that. What are ye lot doing here anyways? Shouldn't ye be back at the castle?" Hagrid was clearly fed up with them at this moment and so they made their exit.

"He's knows how to get past Fluffy too. I bet anything it was either Voldemort or Snape under that cloak in the pub. He gave Hagrid a few drinks and played him like a Fiddle," Harry said.

"We should tell Professor Dumbledore right away. Or Professor McGonagall," Hermione said. Harry seemed to agree with her. They entered the hallway and looked around. "Anyone know how we get there?" Hermione asked.

They shook their heads. Ron looked around in thought. "We should try the staff lounge. There is a good chance he will be there or if not him maybe Professor Flitwick or Professor McGonagall. I'm pretty sure we can trust those two. Elsa really approves of Professor Flitwick. Also, you know the way there, Harry."

They followed Harry as he led the way with more confidence this time. On their way, they heard a voice call out to them, "What are you four doing inside on a day like this?" Professor McGonagall was in front them holding a stack of books.

"We need to see Professor Dumbledore!" Ron blurted out.

"Really?" she asked incredulously. They nodded quickly hoping that would work. "Well you can't. He's away at the ministry."

"Now?!" Ron asked.

"Yes. Mr. Weasley now…" she said sternly.

"But it's really important we see him immediately!" Ron said again.

"Really… You four have something more important to say than the Minister of Magic? I doubt that," she replied.

Ron was about to say something, but Harry cut him off. "Professor. We know about the Sorcerer's Stone."

She dropped her books in surprise. "How do you know about the stone?"

"That's not important! Sna- Someone is going to try and steal it soon. I know for a fact someone is. We know about Fluffy and everything," Harry said.

Professor McGonagall looked very unimpressed. "I don't know how you learned about everything, but I assure you it is well protected. Besides Professor Dumbledore will be back tomorrow. Now go back outside. If you keep pressing on this I will be forced to take harsh actions!" she said as she picked up her books and left them.

Once she was out of earshot Neville spoke, "It's going to be tonight isn't, Harry?"

Harry nodded.

"What do we do?" Hermione asked.

Harry was in thought, "Maybe if someone keeps an eye on Snape we can…"

Ron cut him off with a very serious look on his face. "We go to get it now. We get the cloak from our room and we go now. We are as ready as we can be. We don't know how long it will take us to get through. We should get the stone first and either destroy it or at the very least hide it somewhere else where Snape won't find it. First thing tomorrow we give it to Dumbledore, McGonagall or Flitwick."

Neville nodded in agreement. "If we get it first and show it to them, they'll realize we were right. If we can get it then Snape for sure could get it. They'll have to listen to us then."

Harry nodded to this. Hermione sighed. "I don't like this. Not one bit at all. They might expel us or something…" the others looked to her. She continued, "But better to do something about it to prevent Snape from getting the stone and get expelled then to wait and let him get it for Voldemort."

Neville nodded while looking very grave as he said, "We can't let Vol- **him** come back at any cost or his followers." Neville's words and demeanor were shocking to Harry and the others, but they were impressed and encouraged by him.

"Let's go then," Harry said as they headed to their dorm room. He knew it would fit them all. They could even fit Elsa too if she joined them on the way.

Just as Harry thought about her he saw her in front of them. She smiled at them. "Hey I was looking for you guys. Sorry about this morning. I'm good now. Why are you all still inside?" she asked.

"We're going now. To the Gauntlet," Harry replied. Elsa fell into step by him. "When Hagrid got Norbert, he ended up telling Snape how to get past Fluffy. Quirrell's already broken down and told him how to get past his anti-dark arts protection. Dumbledore's gone and McGonagall won't believe us."

"Can't we try McGonagall again? I'm here now. I could help," she said. She would invoke her full title if she needed to on this. The stone was that important and should not fall into Voldemort's hands at all, especially not when delivered by Professor Snape.

Harry sighed. "It's useless she won't hear any of it from us."

"I'm sure if we try one more time it will work," Elsa said. She seemed to be struggling to stay quiet about why she knew this would be the case with such certainty.

"I'm telling you it won't work. Why are you so sure she will listen if you are there, Elsa?" Harry asked a little testy. His mind was made up and his patience on this topic running thin. They were wasting time arguing like this.

Elsa seemed like there was something really on her mind. She looked very frustrated with herself. "Just trust me on this. If I go with you four and back you up she will listen," she tried one last time.

"It won't work. She more or less said if we didn't leave it alone we would be in serious trouble. She'd probably blow up at us before we could even say anything," Harry said.

Elsa seemed angry or frustrated at them. It was only barely noticeable to Harry though. The others probably noticed it even less. She gave a sigh. "Fine…"

Harry was relieved she was onboard now. "But why are we going the wrong way?" she asked.

"We're getting the cloak first," Ron started as he explained the plan to her.

She nodded to his plan and said, "This will work. I know a shortcut from near where Gryffindor tower is that will take us right outside by the room where you all saw Fluffy." When it came to shortcuts and passageways, they didn't doubt her.

Elsa just hoped the passageway was in good shape. It should be. She had read her ancestors' journals on passageways and even asked Marvin about a few of them. It should be clear, but she was a little nervous about it. She was also a little excited to be going to Gryffindor tower even if she would have to wait outside for them or something.

Once they got there, Elsa waited for them a little away from the entrance. Harry looked through his trunk and grabbed his cloak. In a bit of last minute thinking, he grabbed the flute Hagrid gave him for Christmas as well. "For the music," he said when Ron looked at him. Ron nodded in understanding.

When they exited, Elsa quickly fell in step by Harry again. Harry quickly threw the cloak over all of them as they crowded together. It was a tight fit, but it was good enough. Elsa led them to an alcove a short distance away from their house. There was a painting of a Knight in armor standing next to a centaur and a goblin. They were all three looking at a tower in the distance.

Elsa sighed to herself.

She bit her thumb to draw blood and placed it on the painting. Hermione gasped at her actions but otherwise stayed silent. Elsa then took in a deep breath and whispered in her native tongue so they wouldn't understand her, "It takes more than just the gift to rule the Nation of Eagle Valley. Love is the key. As is courage to face the unknown."

The painting glowed yellow gold and her blood disappeared and her thumb healed, but the cut was still visible. She next leaned forward and softly but strongly whispered, "Kjærlighet". The painting melted away and the path before them lit up.

She waited a moment to let them take in what they saw before moving forward. Once they were inside, the painting appeared again and the entrance closed behind them. This passageway wasn't too long, but it traveled a great distance. They were focused on their current task and what lay ahead of them, so they didn't ask Elsa what just happened.

Soon the passageway opened in front of them and they stepped outside on the forbidden third floor corridor. They were only two doors down from where they needed to go. Harry moved quickly and Hermione again unlocked the door for them. It just felt right that she would open it for them, even though they all knew the unlock spell by this point.

The group was very quiet as they entered the room. They were relieved and disappointed to hear soft harp music playing and the snores of three dog heads. They looked down below the trapdoor. They knew it was a risk, but they had to jump down. "What if you need to know how to levitate yourself to get down there safely?" Ron whispered.

"No one can do that, not even Dumbledore," Neville said quietly. He then looked determined. "This is the first trial of the gauntlet." He then swallowed and dropped down. A couple of seconds later he called up, "There's a soft landing down here."

The others didn't really hesitate as they dropped down in turns. They weren't going to wait for the dog to wake up again. Snape already had a lead on them. When they all landed, the door above slammed shut behind them. It seemed Fluffy moved in his sleep.

As they landed on the soft whatever it was, they soon felt vines start to wrap around them. They were just starting to panic, Ron was already doing just that, when Neville spoke to them. "Devil's Snare. Calm down and relax," he told them.

The friends did just that as they slipped down through the plant leaves and landed on the ground below. Ron took a little longer than the others. "Well…" he said. "Good thing nobody panicked." The others just shook their heads.

Elsa then pointed her wand to the side of her face and said, "Makaask imprivos". The others immediately did the same before continuing.

Ron even added a "Lumo Oblesa" as well to give them some light. They stepped into a room and right away there was a puff of something that looked like pollen right at their faces. They just kept going as the spell protected them.

Once they were away from the pollen area, Neville looked back and whistled. "What was it?" Ron asked.

"That was Polnexius sparious. Elsa's spell saved us a lot of trouble. The plant shoots pollen in the air as a defense mechanism. If it had gotten in our eyes, nose or mouth. Well let's just say it is a very powerful hallucinogen," Neville answered.

"How strong are we talking about here?" Ron asked.

"You'd think you were floating in space while surrounded by strange looking green men. Or you might think you were strapped to a medical table while metal tentacles and instruments floated nearby and little green men were controlling them. It varies a lot, but there are always little green men. My uncle says it's responsible for a lot of the alien abductions muggles talk about," he replied.

"Ahh yeah that's right… Plants. You take the lead, Neville." Harry then stepped to the side and let him pass.

They walked into a new room and right away Neville spread out his hands and stopped his friends from moving forward. "Well… That's very rare… and dangerous," he thought out loud as he pointed towards a medium sized plant with large flowers with white and yellow colored petals that had a red base.

He then pointed his wand at the nearest one and said, "Aguamenti," as a narrow stream of water shot out from his wand and he aimed it right at the red colored petal base. "Do the same on the others," he said. There were several others and they made their way through the group of plants, "Do so in a manner that the plants don't have more than ten seconds of time without the spell hitting them."

The group carefully moved forward. They were usually double teaming the plants as they moved past them. Ron was able to help here because he already could use the water spell with his brother's wand easily. Hermione was nervous while she sprayed the plants in front of her and was thankful Elsa was next to her helping out. Harry was in front with Neville and Ron was bringing up the back.

Once they were clear of the plants, Hermione had to ask, "What plant was that, and what did we just avoid?"

"That was Vanerous mobilos. It is a very nasty but rare plant. You couldn't see them because it was hiding them, but it has vines. These vines don't try to strangle you or anything. They force their way inside you through your mouth, your ears… other orifices…" Neville trailed off a little as they all winced at what that meant.

He then cleared his throat. "It then takes over your body rather painfully and uses you to reproduce. It is particularly long lasting in males," He swallowed.

"And females?" Hermione squeaked. Elsa really wished Hermione hadn't asked that. She was pretty sure it was going to be horrible, but she knew how morbid curiosity worked at times and couldn't fully hold it against Hermione.

"You see the red base of the flowers?" he asked. She nodded. "It births itself from the females violently through their… ummm… wombs…" He said pausing to keep from getting sick at the thought. "The female victims don't know any better either. It messes with their minds and makes them think they are pregnant with the child of their dreams. Everyone else would easily know what was happening and it can be stopped if caught early enough."

He leaned against the wall nearby and said, "With men, they make them go about reproducing the human way, but without any care or thought for the females the possessed man chases or the possessed man himself. Again, the effects are easily noticeable to everyone else and there are methods to save the victim if it is discovered early enough. It still isn't a process you want to go through and given this place is a secret it is very likely we would not get help soon enough. Possessed bodies can't really use magic so we wouldn't be able to get out of her for better or for worse."

Ron seemed to swallow some vomit. Harry just stared at the floor concentrating on it. Elsa was looking a little sickened and Hermione was grabbing on tight to Elsa since she was the closest. "Why keep such a horrible dangerous plant around at all?" Hermione asked in horror and disgust.

Neville sighed to regain himself. He then stood up and said, "If treated right the petals, roots, and stems have very powerful healing properties. Not even essence of dittany can compare. There are several magical aliments that only Vanerous extract can cure. It still has a lot of untapped potential in other healing ways as well. There are some wizards studying the body take over aspects very carefully to see if that could be of any use for people with mobility issues, but the plant is very rare. You have to have a lot of specialized certificates to raise it. There are methods to reproduce it that don't involve humans. It is also highly regulated."

He was in thought and then nodded. "Now that I think about it Professor Sport is one of the few in the area that can certify others. She holds the classes whenever they are needed during the summer break here."

"They have that stuff here?" Hermione asked panicking and grabbing Elsa's arm tighter.

Neville nodded, "But like I said there are a lot of safety precautions you have to follow and special storage requirements. There is no way a Hogwarts Student would be able to stumble across them by accident and there should be stunning arrays around it as well, so the body won't break lose. Again, a controlled body can't use magic."

"You seem to know a lot about it," Elsa said.

Neville gave a slight smiled. "Part of the Longbottom family fortune comes from raising the plants. My Great Uncle Algie is certified. I'll probably get certified further down the line as well," he said.

"Well I sure am glad you were here, mate." Ron said as he looked up. It seemed he was recovering. "I don't want to think what would have happened if you weren't with us."

Neville smiled and said with a hint of amusement, "You'd probably be busy playing Quidditch in space with a bunch of little green men." That got a chuckle from everyone which got them to put the horror that is Vanerous Mobilos out of their minds.

{-} {-} {-}

The group approached another door that was at the end of a long corridor. They heard music coming from it. Some really good and catchy music coming from it. They opened the door and on the other side was a brightly lit room that was decorated like a really happening place.

There were dancing lampposts, coat racks, hat racks, coat and hat racks as well as dress design stands. To one side of the room, there was a piano hopping a bit and playing music. There was even a band of instruments playing along with the piano. They even saw a mic stand that was somehow pretty to them and it was singing songs sometimes with a derby hat mic stand singing as well. There was even an open bar on the other side of the room with a mannequin serving drinks.

In the center of the large room, there was a really nice dance floor. It had a bunch of colorful sheer curtains in a pattern hanging on the ceiling and not drooping enough to get in the way of the dancers. The atmosphere of the place was really cheerful and fun. The music and the feel of the place was really catchy too.

"Come on! I bet they have fire whiskey here in addition to butterbeer!" Ron said as Neville walked over to the bar with him. They felt as if they were forgetting something, but it couldn't be that important really.

"This place is cool. Real cool," Harry said as he listened to the music and tapped his feet while sitting at a table.

"I know! I really like the singer!" Hermione said as she sat next to Harry.

"You tell it like it is don't cha, babe? I like that! I can tell you're a smart cookie too!" A rather handsome lamppost said to her causing her to blush a little.

Hermione giggled, "Oh thank you so much! So many people hate me for being smart. I can't help it. I don't like being dumb." The lamppost laughed to that. Harry chuckled and kept dancing in his seat to the music.

Elsa looked around the place. It was so amazing. She'd seen fancy ballrooms but never such a place like this. It was like those nightclubs in the old movies with Bing Crosby and all of them. She also really liked this kind of music.

"Hogwarts is really amazing! The archive didn't mention anything about this! It must be new," Elsa said to herself as she walked over to see what Neville and Ron were up to. They seemed to be having a butter beer drinking contest.

"Hey! Elsa!" Ron said. "You. You have to try the butterbeer it's really strong, but *hic* it isa so good,"

Neville had a lazy grin as he nodded in agreement. Elsa figured she might as well try some, she was a princess after all she could easily pull the diplomatic immunity card if a police officer tried to get on their case for underaged drinking. She took a sip and took in a deep breath. "Wow…"

"See… See… *Hic* I toldjyas its wus goud… So goud… *hic*," Ron said.

The band started up and a handsome mic singer started off by signing:

"You know I'm almost grown…

Yeah and I'm doing alright in school….

They ain't said I broke no rule…

I aint never been in dutch…

I don't browse around too much…"

"I love this song!" Elsa said.

"Never heard it…" Ron said. "But *hic* itsa guud one for butterbeer!"

Elsa wanted to dance now, but wanted to finish her butterbeer first. It was so good. Then she wanted another one.

She drank until the end of a song or two later. She lost count. An announcer mic stand spoke up. "Up next we got ourselves a really good treat for all you cool cats and kitties. Welcome the Micstand Sisters!"

There was a round of applause from somewhere as a trio of mic stands, one with a blonde wig, one with an auburn wig and one with dark brown hair started to sing.

"Feelin' Lowwww…

Rock me slowwww…

I want to goooo…

Right back where I belong…"

Elsa made up her mind and quickly got on to the dance floor. She was quickly joined by Harry who was dancing with her and somehow to the tune of the song with the right steps. It was almost like his shoes were charmed to dance really well.

Elsa didn't care. She was super happy to be dancing again, especially with Harry. She giggled as she smiled at him. He gave a smooth smile in return. He then said, "You know. You're my best friend, Elsa. I mean you were so nice and wonderful the way you helped me at King's Cross."

Elsa giggled, "Well you're mine as well. I couldn't help it! I just liked you and decided I wanted you to be my first friend."

Harry gave a chuckle. "Nice to know I ranked first in something."

Elsa laughed at what he said. She danced another two songs with Harry. This place was so amazing. She really wished Anna was here with her. She just knew her sister would love this place. Anna loved dancing as well. She missed Anna… Wait Anna couldn't know about this place it was magic. Anna… She almost… Elsa stopped dancing and gasped. Harry went right on and started dancing with a dress designer stand.

The room wasn't as bright anymore and the music was faded and distant. Elsa looked around. Hermione was swooning over a lamppost…? Harry was dancing with a dress stand. Ron was seemingly drunk at a bar talking to the mannequin as if it was his long lost best friend while constantly sipping from an empty glass. Neville was dancing to the music in his own way and surrounded by a crowd of coat and Hat racks and dress stands.

She gave a sigh. "Of course, Charms… Cheering charms or something even more potent and a lot more than just that." She thought of how she broke out of it and came up with a solution.

She walked over to Harry. Everything seemed brighter around him and the music was no longer faded. Harry once again looked like a dancing god on the dance floor, instead of barely rocking back and forth in rhythm to the music like earlier.

"Harry," she said.

"Ahh Elsa! You're back. I was wondering where you went. Another dance or drink?" He asked her with a smile that was only about a million times more charming than it usually was.

Elsa blushed and was very tempted to join him. Did anything else matter? She was happy here this place was wonderful no secrets needed to be kept here. She shook her head and said to him, "Harry think about the mirror and what it really means and what it did to you."

Harry blinked mirror what mirror? Then he seemed to remember seeing his reflection in a mirror surrounded by a happy still alive family… He glared at the memory of the mirror. It was really cruel. His body then shuddered and he shook his head. "What? Was I dancing… With a dress stand?" he asked.

Elsa nodded to this. "We need to get the others to snap out of it. They have to think of something that really upsets them or at least makes them very sad to break out of it."

Harry nodded and added, "Or angry. Anything other than happiness and cheerfulness I get the feeling." She nodded to this. "I'll get Ron. You get Neville," he said as he made his way over to Ron who was acting very silly and drunk while chugging an empty glass.

"Hey! Harry! Buddy *hic* Nice ta see ya *hic* mate… Howsa 'bout ya Join us for a drink?" Ron said with a drunken smile.

Harry wasn't sure what to do here. What would be the best approach. He gave a shrug and simply said "Giant Spiders".

"What?! Where?!" Ron said with wide eyes. He then laughed. "Good… *hic* one 'Arry!"

Harry tried again. "Ron you're turning into Percy! They're going to make you Prefect. The twins said they will have to set you right."

"No! I don't want to be a Percy! He's such a prude and stick in the mud!" Ron said and his body shuddered. "Wait? What?!"

Harry smiled, "You're back."

Ron seemed to realize what he had been doing. "Wow, I was thinking a silent mannequin was one of my best new mates…"

"Help me with Hermione," Harry said. Ron followed slowly. He groaned. "Headache?" Harry asked.

"Yeah… Must have been the drinks despite them not being real," he groaned.

{-} {-} {-}

Elsa approached Neville. She was happy to see Neville this happy. She had never really seen him this happy. He also looked really cool for some reason. He was dancing in his own style, but the crowd of watchers were really impressed and cheering him on it seemed.

She almost wanted to dance with him. She thought about how to approach him. "Hey, Neville!" she called to him. He didn't notice. She tried two more times. No effect.

She then sighed. She was going to have to dance with him. She climbed up on the large table he was dancing on to cheers from the crowd. "Neville! Can I join you in a dance?" she asked.

This time Neville confidently smiled at her. "Sure, Elsa. I'd like that! I'll lead don't worry," he said smoothly and with confidence she had never seen in him before. It was kind of swoon inducing. Neville took her by the hand and they ended up dancing to one song. This was followed by another song.

Once it was over, Elsa giggled in delight and asked, "Hey, Neville. How come you don't ever talk about your mom and dad?" She asked. She felt a little guilty asking him like this.

Neville paused and blinked. He then frowned and sighed. "I really don't want to talk about that right now… Wait?! What?! Oh, Merlin's beard! We've got to hurry. The stone!"

He was back and looked around quickly. Elsa was in front of him with her hands clasped together in a praying motion as she bowed her head a little and said, "I'm so sorry, Neville! I didn't mean to pry… It was the only way I could think to get you out of it."

He gave a sigh and nodded. "I get it. Don't worry, Elsa. Just don't press the issue?" he asked. She nodded in reply.

She then gave him a smile and said, "You did dance really well."

Before he could reply to her, they heard a loud wail, "NOOOO! Please not that!" It was Hermione.

{-} {-} {-}

Ron and Harry sighed as they watched Hermione dancing with the lamppost. She was so happy looking and smiling so brightly, even with her teeth. She actually looked really cute. She was blushing as she danced and talked to the lamppost. They couldn't hear a word it was saying though.

"Any ideas?" Harry asked. "I almost don't want to ruin her fun."

Ron closed his eyes for a moment. He was thinking if maybe they could leave her here and free her on the way back. They felt like she really did deserve this happiness. He shook his head. That was a bad idea in the end. She was really smart and talented. They could use her for the remaining gauntlet rooms. In fact, he was pretty sure they needed her.

"Concerned face," Ron muttered to Harry. Harry adopted one. Ron came up with an idea. It would work with Hermione. "Hey, Hermione…" he said in a sorrowful voice.

"What is it, Ron? Is everything alright? Have another drink you looked like you enjoyed it and the bartender is charming," Hermione said before turning to the mannequin and waving to it with a friendly smile.

"No. I'm fine… It's just that... well… McGonagall just spoke to us. You're being expelled from Hogwarts," he said in all seriousness.

"What?" Hermione asked as her eye twitched but she continued to smile. "Why? How?"

Ron looked to Harry who sighed deeply as he picked up where Ron left off. "Plagiarism… There was talk about fines and deep investigation into all of your other classes," Harry said.

"Heh… heh.. You're joking right…?" Hermione asked with a strained smile. The lamppost seemed really concerned too now.

Ron shook his head. "It was your DADA exam. They think you just copied the textbook and used a memory recall spell. It's pretty serious."

Hermione looked horror stricken. "NOOOO! Please not that! Hogwarts is all I have now!" She sniffed and then blinked and looked around confused as she asked, "What just happened? What was that you said?" She then got angry and glared at Ron and Harry. "That's not funny you two! That's taking the joke too far!"

Harry and Ron were only snickering a little at her reaction but that stopped quickly. Harry and Ron looked to her apologetically. "Sorry, Hermione… It was the room. We had to do something that brought out strong emotions from you that weren't happiness or cheerfulness."

She sighed as a concerned Neville and Elsa came over. She looked to them and said, "Don't ask. Let's just get out of this stupid room." She started to lead the way as she muttered, "I can't believe I was crushing on a lamppost."

"Well he was very charming and handsome," Elsa admitted with a giggle. Hermione sighed and shook her head but cracked a smile. The whole thing was absurd and maybe it was a little funny. She still wasn't alright with what Harry and Ron said to her though.

As they left the room, Elsa was next to Harry and said quietly to him, "By the way. I really enjoyed our dances, Harry." She then winked at him as he stopped and his heart seemed to skip a beat or four for some reason. He then focused on the task ahead.

They heard something that was fluttering and Ron was the first to enter the next room. When they were close they heard him sigh and say, "Flying keys…"


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Gauntlet's End

"Flying Keys…" Ron started. He was holding his head and trying to at least partially cover his ears it looked like. "The sound of their flapping wings isn't helping my headache," he explained.

"Any ideas?" Harry asked.

Neville and Hermione were already examining the door on the opposite end of the hall. "Well obviously we have to try and get through the door. Step back, Neville," Hermione said. Once Neville was clear she focused on the lock and said, "Alohomora!" Nothing happened. She gave a sigh, "figures it wouldn't be that easy."

Ron looked over and said, "If we had Seamus with us, he could probably find a way to blow up the door."

"I didn't think to look up the Blasting Curse," Hermione said with a frown of disappointment. She felt this was somehow a grievous failing on her part as if she should have known every spell ever despite being just a muggle born witch who hadn't even completely a full year of schooling yet.

"Guess we'll have to do this the obvious way," Neville said as he looked up at the keys above them. There were so many of them. He knew what they had to do, but he was rather clueless on how to go about completing the task.

"Harry will have to fly up and get the key," Ron said. Harry looked at him questioning why him alone. "Hermione and Neville aren't the best flyers. I have a headache still, even if it is thankfully fading. Elsa can fly, but it would take a Seeker's reflexes and skill to get the right key," Ron easily replied to the unasked question.

"Maybe I could go up and help by using Immobulus on some of the keys for Harry," Elsa suggested. She would be able to keep balanced on her broom and she could fly decently, even if she had only done so in their flying classes.

"No," Harry answered her. "I don't think it would work, and even if it did I'd be willing to bet the other keys will attack or something."

Elsa didn't look happy with his decision. "I'd rather you keep an eye on me down here in case they get me off my broom. I'm betting once I get up there and close to the right key the others will act like a hundred tiny but sharp Bludgers that go as fast as a snitch," he truthfully added hoping she would be satisfied with that. She gave a sigh but seemed to decide he was right. There was a part of her that was really happy with this answer because it was Harry more or less saying he trusted her with his life in a roundabout way.

"What key am I looking for?" he asked Neville and Hermione as he looked around the room.

Neville looked at the door's lock. "Something old fashioned. Rather large." He then seemed to run a finger along the keyhole and examined dust or shavings. "And probably colored grey or silver."

"Since Professor Snape is ahead of us, it will probably already have an injured wing," Hermione added getting a nod from Ron in agreement.

"Alright. Got it. I want you all to be ready to get through the door quickly. Be ready with cushioning charms, shield charms, and whatever else would probably help once I land so we can escape quickly," Harry said as he mounted the broom that looked the best of the ones provided. He climbed on it and kicked off.

The broom was fast, even if it wasn't a match for his Nimbus 2000. Harry tried a few maneuvers to get a feel for how the broom responded. Fortunately, it seemed to make up for the lack of speed compared to the Nimbus with better handling and maneuverability, even at higher speeds. Harry was starting to wonder if maybe the Nimbus 2000 wasn't actually the best. He cleared his head of such unnecessary thoughts and focused.

Harry quickly climbed up and started looking for the key he needed. The other keys were calm for the moment flying and zipping around in a way that made it harder to make them out. However, Harry knew what to look for and he was a pretty damn good seeker to boot. His experience from the games he already played allowed him to find the key quickly.

He almost darted right for it, but decided not to do so. He wanted to better plan his approach, and acted like he hadn't already spotted the key. Harry flew below it for a bit and then away while keeping it in his sight. He then flew up and preformed a quick jackknife turn and descended using gravity to help speed his descent.

Harry quickly reached out and grabbed the key with the wounded wing tight. Just like he thought, the other keys were no longer calm. They started darting around even faster. Several launched themselves at Harry and managed to graze his cheek and arm. Harry felt a sting from the shallow cuts. He started maneuvering a lot more. He would make sharp unexpected turns close to the wall causing several keys to embed themselves in said wall. He quickly pulled a U-turn and several keys crashed into each other. He heard his friends gasp below. He needed to end this quickly now. There were fewer keys, but that meant they weren't as easily shaken.

"Get Ready! Incoming!" He shouted. His friends got their wands ready. Harry made a quick looping turn and was heading straight for the ground and his friends. They moved to either side out of his way trusting his abilities to land in the space they left open.

"Molliare!"

"Immobulus!"

"Aguamenti!"

"Aguamenti!"

His friends each shouted a spell. Two jets of water shot past him. Everything including his broom seemed to freeze or travel in slow-mo. Harry tumbled forward and right into the softest anything he had ever hit. Sure, it wasn't the most graceful landing, but that hardly mattered.

Ron and Neville easily shot down all of the now super slow flying keys with their jets of water. "Neville thought getting the wings wet would cause them to fall or at least slow down," Ron explained. He then turned to his friend and grinned, "This is why I'm always wanting to play you in chess, Nev. You come up with brilliant but different ideas."

"Good job everyone," Harry said as he forced the key into the lock and turned it. The key went still and the door gave a loud satisfying click as it opened. They stepped into the next room and the door closed behind them.

It was dark where they were, and soon after they started walking they all started to gag. Elsa quickly cast the mask filtration spell on herself to spare her senses and the others quickly followed suit. They continued further in the dark room and they could tell the smell was getting worse, even if it wasn't bothering them now. The room also seemed to get even darker and their eyes weren't adjusting like they usually would.

Soon though, the room suddenly lit up brightly and they all had to blink their eyes a little. The bright light was coming from behind them. There was a bright almost crystalline orb hovering above Elsa giving off light that was both cool and oddly comforting. They hadn't heard her say anything, but figured maybe they just didn't hear her since they were focused elsewhere.

"Thanks," Harry said. Unseen by the others, Elsa smiled at his gratitude.

"GAHAH!" they heard Neville shout. They turned towards him and instinctual jumped back a little. They quickly relaxed a moment later.

In front of them was a large massive troll, it was lying face down on the ground. Thanks to Elsa's light they could make out they were in a sewer like room. They weren't sure if the troll was dead or just not moving. They also weren't eager to check and see.

"Man, I'm glad we didn't have to try and take that one on," Neville said as they all nodded in agreement.

{-} {-} {-}

"So, I guess we just have whatever Professor McGonagall set up and Snape left uh?" Ron asked after they found themselves in a small empty room. Thankfully it was troll-less.

"Shouldn't there be one more for Quirrell? All of them have had two defenses so far," Neville said.

"Professor Sprout had three," Hermione corrected.

Neville shook his head. "I don't count the Devil's Snare. That was clearly for making the landing soft, the fact it could also be deadly was just a bonus."

They each took in a deep breath once they saw a new door to open. On the other side of the door, was a room surrounded with segmented metal walls arranged in a circular pattern. "Okay. I give up. What do we do here?" Neville asked. The others either shrugged or were in thought.

Harry started knocking on the walls. It sounded like he was knocking on metal walls. He tried tapping them with his wand. Nothing. He frowned.

Hermione was looking them over and started throwing various spells at the walls. Again Nothing. Ron was examining the floor beneath the walls. Neville was doing the same for the ceiling.

Elsa seemed to just be shooting raw magic at the walls with her wand. Harry found the effects rather interesting. Well not the effects on the walls, as far as the walls were concerned Elsa might as well be giving them a massage. It was the effects from her wand that Harry found interesting. It was like they were almost, but not quiet spells. Elsa didn't really seem to realize this herself, or if she did Harry couldn't tell.

Ron raised an eyebrow as he seemed to have noticed something. He then quickly moved over to a different wall segment. Then another one. Next, he almost bumped into Neville, but the other boy moved out of the way quickly. "What's up, Ron?" he asked.

Ron moved over to the door he was examining before he started rushing to the others. "Come over here," he said. The others followed and looked where he was looking. "There's markings on the floor here." He pointed to the markings. They looked like scrapes on a floor which weren't necessarily randomly placed.

"Of course!" Hermione said before stepping back and looking at the wall segments again. "Why didn't I think of that sooner!"

Elsa stepped back to where Hermione was and her eyes widened as well. Before Ron could grumble about explaining for those of us who weren't the top two in the year. They both said, "Doors!"

"McGonagall!" Harry said in understanding. The girls nodded to him.

"Step back everyone," Hermione said. The others did as she said. She then waved her wand and a door knob appeared on the wall segment. "Well?" she asked looking to Harry.

"I'll try, but I don't think it will work. These metal wall segments seemed pretty thick," Harry said. He then tried turning the knob. It turned and when he pushed the door, it didn't really budge. He tried pulling it and got the same result.

Hermione sighed and turned to Elsa. "We're going to have to take turns if there are more of these walls. I don't think this will be as easy as turning matchsticks to needles."

"I agree. We will have to transfigure it into something easier to move and make it a lot lighter and thinner," Elsa said with a nod.

Harry, Ron and Neville decided to let them handle this obstacle. Harry wasn't too bad at Transfiguration, but even after knowing what he needed to do he would have to take a few tries with each wall segment. Hermione and Elsa were the best with Hermione being only slightly better than Elsa, just like how they were the best at Charms with Elsa being slightly better there.

They needed to perform a more generalized version of transfiguration. They didn't know any "Create door!" spells. They would have to do something similar with the match to a needle, but this would be a much bigger scale and more complex.

Hermione concentrated and touched her wand to the wall segment. It was at least wood this time, but it was too thick and too heavy for them to move. "I don't know how thick the wall is," she sighed.

"Give it a window next time," Elsa suggested. Hermione gave a nod. It took her a few tries, but eventually she got the door to be thin and light enough they could open it.

"Sorry, that took so long," she said with a sigh of disappointment.

Ron opened the door and said to her, "Went bloody fast compared to how long it would have taken us." Hermione actually gave a smile to that and they entered the next room. It looked just the same as the last room. "Look for the markings on the floor everyone," Ron said to them and they did just that.

"Over here," Neville called and waved them over. It had markings again like the previous one.

Hermione went again. It took her far less time, but it still took her a couple of tries. "This one has a different thickness," she said after making another door with a window. They entered into a new room like the others except this one had more possible doors.

"Do you think we need to look for the markings every time?" Harry asked.

"Let's find out. Look for the markings and then Hermione can try it on a different wall," Ron said.

This time Harry found the correct wall segment. Hermione nodded and walked over to a different wall segment and created a door with window. She frowned. "This one's a dead end there's a wall on the other side and I'm not about to try and transfigure a door into it."

"Well now we know," Neville said.

"Elsa, can you take the next few?" Hermione asked. Elsa nodded in understanding. It took a lot more power to change a solid metal wall into a door with a window. Given it would have to be done at least twice each time that would get very taxing without a break.

Hermione explained to Elsa how she did it to give her an idea on what to do. Elsa had to try four times before she got a door with a window to see how thick the wall segment was. She then transfigured the wooden door into a thinner version.

In the next room Elsa got an idea on how they approached the problem. She walked up to the correct wall once it was found and preformed the transfiguration. Hermione was a bit shocked Elsa managed to do it in one go, even if she could kind of tell it took more magic. It was still less magic than the method she used would have been.

"What did you do differently?" Hermione asked Elsa.

"I decided to think of the door thickness I wanted instead of think how much I needed to take off from the wall itself," Elsa replied.

Hermione gave a disappointed sound. "Why didn't I think of that…" she muttered. That would make the second door easier and magically less taxing. She had been finding out the thickness and then creating an entirely new door.

Elsa gave a shrug, "It was a bit of a risk on if it would work or not. The first way was much more sure fire." It was possible what she did would mess it all up or set off additional defenses. She still gave it a try.

The group continued into several other similar rooms. They got to the point they worked really well together in rhythm. They knew to split up and look for the markings on the floor and they'd wave the others over once they found the right one. Elsa and Hermione started a four-door rotation. It took five more of these rotations before they reached what looked like the end of this trial.

Elsa and Hermione were both collapsed next to each other once they reached a break room at the end. "I really hope the next room isn't as magic taxing," Hermione said while she caught her breath. It was still hard on them even with the refined approach Elsa discovered.

"I wouldn't count on it… These are designed to keep people from reaching the stone. They aren't meant to be easy. If someone were to die on their way to it. They really wouldn't care. Well they might in our case, but usually they wouldn't," Elsa said.

"Well someone's feeling cheerful, Aren't they?" Hermione asked with a bit of a tired giggle.

Elsa then looked to Harry asked, "Harry. If I collapse from magic exhaustion, would you carry me?" She might have added a little eyelash flutter, but she wouldn't admit it.

Harry's eyes widened and he blushed as he stumbled for an answer. "I… uh… Guess so?" he said/asked. This earned him a giggle from both girls while Neville tried to hide a snicker and Ron shook his head with a slight grin at the girls.

After she giggled, Elsa took her outer robe off and transfigured it into a small water skin. She then said, "Aguamenti" and sprayed water into it before taking a refreshing sip.

Ron looked at her. She could tell he was thirsty. "Want some?" she asked. Ron nodded and took a few sips before passing it to Neville. Neville then offered some to Hermione who gratefully accepted. "Sorry… I should have asked you first." Elsa said.

Hermione made a dismissive motion with her hand. "Don't worry about it. You're doing just fine being my back rest," she giggled.

After Hermione finished drinking some water, she offered it to Harry. He took a few gulps as well. It really was thirsty work doing all of this. It was too bad they couldn't conjure up food. However, Hermione seemed to have them covered here. She passed out a few granola bars to everyone.

"Mmmm… Chocolate," Elsa said as she took one and almost seemed to glow with contentment. Once they each had a bar and another round of water, they stood up and braced themselves. Elsa just wore the water skin attached to her school skirt instead of transfiguring it back into her outer cloak.

{-} {-} {-}

They entered another room and this time it was well lit and spacious. There was a large chessboard in the middle of the room and there were piles of stone debris on the sides. "I don't suppose we could just walk through?" Harry asked no one in particular. In response to his question, he noticed several statue guards stand behind the other side of the board and in front of a door. "That answers that," he said with a sigh. He knew they needed to hurry up, but this whole gauntlet thing was really tiring and wearing him out. They all stepped a little closer.

Suddenly they heard a loud clang sound. Harry looked around and his eyes widened. "Harry…" Elsa said as she looked at him through what appeared to be bars of iron with a worried look in her eyes. She and Neville were in prison cages. Neville was bewildered and a little panicky.

"Only three maximum players allowed at the start," they heard McGonagall's voice boom from all around them. "The extras can either come in as promotions or will be freed if the match is won."

Harry was both reassured by these words and frightened. Ron and Hermione seemed to be in a similar boat. "We'll win," Harry said in what he thought was a confident voice and nodded to Elsa. He then gave a nod to Neville as well.

"You all better," Neville said. "I really don't want to spend the rest of my life down here. Not that I don't mind your company, Elsa." He gave her a small smile trying to lighten the mood a little.

Elsa gave a sigh and sat down in her prison cage. If things looked too bad and it seemed like the others would lose, she would go all out. She'd like to see a bunch of stone statues withstand her full wrath. She'd show them before destroying them with her ice powers. She found that thought very satisfying. She had to remind herself thinking like that wasn't very queenly.

She then turned and gave Neville a smile, "Ron's got this. He's the best chess player ever after all." She then turned to the board and said louder, "No pressure, Ron. Neville and I will just be stuck here forever if you lose."

"No pressure, Merlin's saggy bollocks," he muttered, but he felt better now.

"Harry, you take the King's side Bishop. Hermione, you take the Queen's side Rook," he said. They easily understood what had to be done because of McGonagall's message and moved where instructed as the named pieces moved from the board.

"And you?" Harry asked curiously once he was in position.

Ron puffed up and said, "I'll be a knight!" He then couldn't help but to strike a bit of a pose and give a cheesy 'hero' smile. Elsa giggled at him. Neville sighed. Hermione rolled her eyes. Harry gave him a 'Really?' look.

Ron dropped his pose. "It will give me the best vantage point of the board." He then walked up to one of the black pieces and said, "I'm climbing up." The knight piece seemed to understand and its mane formed a makeshift stone ladder for Ron to use.

Hermione wasn't really about to admit it, but Ron did look a little cool on top of the knight piece. He was even sitting with good posture. He seemed more like a commander than just a regular eleven-year-old boy. It didn't make up for the fact he still drove her crazy at times and not necessarily in the good way. She was just glad Elsa had unknowingly helped her with such things throughout the year as her social barometer.

"So now what?" Hermione asked Ron.

"White goes first," Ron answered in a serious tone. A white pawn moved out seemingly on cue. "See," he said to her. He then ordered one of his own pawns to mirror the other one.

Hermione blushed at him and luckily, he didn't see her. He was definitely being cool. She kind of wished he could be like that more often, but then he wouldn't be Ron. He was in what she had come to call his Chess Zone. It was a very stark contrast to his usual self and it had first developed after he started playing Neville in wizard's chess.

White moved again and the game actually started. "Harry, move diagonally four squares to the right," Ron ordered. Harry did so without complaint. He was terrified of this game, but he wouldn't give into that fear. He had to listen to Ron and pay attention. They had to win. Not only to stop Snape, but to save their friends. Ron was the best one to lead for this kind of a trial.

The first shock of the game, though Ron didn't seem too surprised, was when their other Knight was taken by the white queen. She knocked the knight harshly to the ground and tossed it to the side. It wasn't moving.

Harry and the others had their eyes wide at that. Ron was a little stunned at how rough the take down was. "Had to do that. Two reasons," he started. "First, we now know how similar this is to wizard's chess and second you can take that bishop, Hermione." He had to call to her again so she got out of her shock and he repeated the order. Hermione walked up to the bishop and lightly tapped it with her fist. The piece moved off the board. Hermione was upset it didn't also crumble or something. That would have seemed only fair in her mind.

The game continued onward. Harry and Hermione each had a narrow escape from what was sure to be certain death, but other than that Ron kept them in play and also safe. Their black pieces were being knocked down left and right it felt, even though that wasn't necessarily the case.

Ron however, was zooming across the board taking down just as many white pieces. The knight he was on top of wasn't as forgiving as Hermione was. It didn't just lightly tap out the other pieces. It would brutally cut them down. Ron was doing this because he wanted to paint a target on his back and not Harry's or Hermione's. He also avoided getting pieces promoted because he didn't want to have to worry about Elsa and Neville being in play as well.

Harry and Hermione followed his orders just as well as the black pieces did. After the initial shock of losing a piece, they would just flinch institutionally the other times it happened, but Ron didn't have to repeat other orders to them. Neville and Elsa were but uneasy having to just watch as the game played out in front of their eyes. They both understood why Ron kept them where they were, but that didn't make it any easier on them.

Eventually they heard Neville shout, "Ron! Don't you dare!" Harry and Hermione looked over to see a concerned Neville and Elsa. Neville saw the look in Ron's eye. He hit the bars of his cage with his wand hand in frustration as hard as he could. He cursed not knowing more magic. Surely, there was another way they could have done this.

He noticed Harry's and Hermione's puzzled looks. "He's going to sacrifice himself!" Neville shouted in frustration.

"No! Don't!" Harry and Hermione shouted at once.

Elsa looked like she was too angry to shout and was gripping her wand tightly trying to think of something she could do. She didn't want to unleash her unqueenly rage. She was terrified something would happen now that she actually thought about it. She feared she might harm her friends and this time there wouldn't be a wonderful loving clan of rock trolls to help.

Ron took in a deep breath before explaining. "It's the only way. That's how chess works." He turned and looked into Harry's eyes and pointed to the white queen. "She'll take me. Then you can checkmate the King."

"Ron-," Harry started.

"No matter what happens to me. You have to checkmate the King, Harry," he cut his friend off.

"But-," Harry started.

"Do you want to stop Snape or not? It won't matter if I play longer and somehow win this game some other way. If we give up now it will all have been for nothing. Like Neville told us at the start. Voldemort can't use the stone and rise to power again. No matter the **cost** ," Ron said sternly as he and Harry held each other's gaze.

Neville was seething in his prison. Elsa was close to deciding to hell with it all and just go full ice power mode and just do her best not to also hurt her friends. It would be nice. She wouldn't have to hide her powers anymore from them. She could go all out in the future whenever she wanted.

Hermione was in tears at the thought of losing one of her few friends. It didn't matter that he got on her nerves and put off his homework longer than she liked. He was still a precious friend to her just like the others. Hermione made a vow to herself to do what she could so in the future this wouldn't have to happen ever again.

Harry gave a sigh. He looked at the board. He would have to move three spaces to the right diagonally. He looked at Ron and said, "I don't like this. You better pull through somehow. If not... I'll tell peeves to pester you in the afterlife."

Ron gave a chuckle and a wain smile to that. He simply gave a nod in reply before moving. "Check!" he called forcing the white queen to move to take him and position her so she wouldn't be able to get in Harry's way.

The others watched in horror as the white queen seemed to move incredibly slowly towards Ron. She reached him and then hit the horse he was on causing it to seemingly explode and sending Ron harshly to the floor. As he fell, Ron smiled. He wouldn't be able to keep that promise to Harry he didn't think. He at least did what he could to help and protect them to this point. As he was about to smash into the ground, he heard Elsa shout. "Molliare!" A white almost clear light sped towards him fast and hit the ground where he was about to land.

Ron hit the softened ground. He looked up bewildered for a second, but smiled. He could kiss Elsa's feet in thanks. She had saved him! He then relaxed and looked up. His eyes instantly widened and he turned to the side and braced himself. A large chunk of the Knight he was just on came crashing down and hit him in the side of his head. Everything turned black for him.

"Ron!" Hermione yelled. She was about to rush over to him, but she paused. Harry looked to Elsa in surprise and then back at Ron. It wasn't fair. He looked to Elsa again and for the briefest of seconds he could have sworn he saw the coldest her eyes had ever been. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought he saw ice forming in the air right behind her.

Harry quickly moved three spaces. "Checkmate!" he shouted. The king tossed his crown to Harry's feet. The prison cages holding Elsa and Neville vanished suddenly surprising them momentarily.

"He's still alive!" Hermione shouted to them all. She instantly rushed over to Ron once the game was over. The others rushed over to her. She let out a sob in relief. "He's just unconscious… He's hurt pretty bad too, but he's still alive… Still breathing..." Both Elsa and Neville collapsed to the ground in relief.

Harry stood where he was shaking in relief for a moment. He then looked up to the ceiling and took in a deep calming breath to focus. He wanted to run back now and get Ron to the Hospital Wing, but they weren't done yet.

He came over to the others. "We need to keep going," he said calmly giving a heated glare at the statue guards who moved out of the way. The others got up and were ready to go.

"Neville," Harry said.

Neville looked to him.

"I want you to stay here and watch Ron," Harry said looking forward.

"Why?" Neville asked. He wasn't upset or anything. He just wanted to know.

"I saw you hit those metal bars hard with your wand hand. I don't think you should be fighting with spells any time soon," Harry said looking to him. Neville nodded. His hand was throbbing a bit and that would make it hard to keep it steady which was key when fighting with wands.

He then took off his cloak and started tearing strips from it. He then transfigured each strip into a bandage and got to work on Ron carefully.

"Hermione. Elsa. Let's get going," Harry said.

"We're with you," Hermione replied as Elsa transfigured a stone fragment into a bowl and filled it using an Aguamenti spell. She even left the water skin with Neville as well. He thanked her before she caught up to Harry and Hermione.

"So, we just have Snape's defenses left," Hermione said. Harry nodded.

"It will only be one with him," Elsa said. They looked to her for an explanation. "Professor Snape is stealing the stone from Hogwarts right under the rest of the staff's noses. He bullied Quirrell into helping him and he wouldn't want extra obstacles. He will have done something very clever that he could convince Dumbledore was enough from his end. He'll also know the answer right away."

Harry sighed, "Then he's gone and got it already."

Hermione shook her head, "Dumbledore will have done something as well. Even if Snape knows what it is, I'm sure it will take him some time to solve."

"Let's hope your right," Harry said as he opened the door.

{-} {-} {-}

It was a rather small room they entered. In the middle, there was a table with potion vials of different colors. Once Elsa closed the door behind them, Purple flames sprung up blocking it off. On the opposite end, Black flames popped up blocking the other door. The trio walked up to the table.

A scroll appeared before them on the side of the table. Hermione picked it up far too quickly and excitedly for Harry's liking. He was scared she might accidentally knock the table over and then they'd be right screwed. "What's it say?" Elsa asked.

Hermione started to read it and as she read it she started to get more excited despite the situation.

 _Danger lies ahead of you, while safety lies behind,_

 _Two of us will assist you, whichever you would find,_

 _One of us seven will let you move forward,_

 _Another will transport the drinker backward,_

 _Two among the number hold only nettle wine,_

 _Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line._

 _Choose, or be forced to stay forevermore,_

 _To help with this choice, here are these clues four:_

 _First, however slyly the poison tries to hide_

 _You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;_

 _Second, different are those who stand at either end,_

 _But if you wish to progress, neither is your friend;_

 _Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,_

 _Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;_

 _Forth, the second left and the second right_

 _Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight._

"This is brilliant!" Hermione said with more glee and exuberance than Harry would have liked. Again, he was worried she might accidentally knock the table and potions over. Elsa seemed to have similar concerns as she started looking at the table. "This isn't magic at all! It's a logic puzzle!"

Elsa gave a laugh, "That sounds like Professor Snape alright." She started looking at the potion bottles closely, while Hermione was distracted enjoying the brilliance of the puzzle. Elsa even moved so she was between Hermione and the table.

"Why is that Brilliant?" Harry asked.

Hermione gave a dry laugh. "You've seen this world. It doesn't run on logic. Wizards as a whole seem to lack such thought processes. Most of even the greatest wizards would be stuck here forever!"

"Yeah… But Snape already knew the answer and is up ahead," Harry said.

"Oh right," Hermione said as she came back into the moment. "Everything we need is here. Three are poison. Two are wine. One goes forward. One goes back. Let me look,"

"The tall one's are the wine, right?" Elsa asked.

Hermione blinked. "Yes… They would be…" she said. "Which means!"

"This one is to go forward," Elsa said as she held up the smallest bottle.

"That is correct…" Hermione started.

"Then this one is the one to go back?" Harry said as he picked up a rounded bottle right at the end of the line.

Hermione seemed to almost frown as she said, "That is also correct…" She felt a little cheated for some reason. She then looked to Harry and asked, "Why did you want to know that?"

"There isn't enough left in the forward bottle for even two of us," he said. Elsa gave a sigh and frowned. She didn't like where this was going, but she had to admit Harry was right.

"Harry… No," Hermione said. She also knew what he was thinking.

Harry gave her a wain smile. "Yes. It's the only option. Only one of us can go forward."

"But who?" Hermione asked in thought.

Elsa stomped her foot. "He's already decided it's him, Hermione." She didn't even try to hide her feelings on this matter behind her calm queenly mask. "I really don't like this…"

"I don't either… Why does it have to be you, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Because if Voldemort is on the other end instead. It has to be me. I've stopped him before and I was just a baby," Harry said.

Hermione and Elsa frowned angrily at him. "Also, I want you two to go back and help Neville look after Ron and go get Professor Dumbledore or any of the professors you can. I know you both are exhausted magically because of the transfiguration maze," he added.

Elsa didn't like this at all, period. It was true Hermione was magically exhausted. But she wasn't. She hadn't even tapped into her ice powers much at all. However, she knew she could easily get Professors McGonagall, Flitwick and Dumbledore to listen to her if she told them someone was trying to steal the stone and Harry was trying to hold them off.

"Harry… No… I can still go…" Hermione said, even though she knew her magic reserves were running on Empty. She looked pleadingly to Elsa. "Elsa… Surely…?"

Elsa walked over to Harry and handed him the bottle to go forward and took the one to go back. "You better not die, Harry."

"I don't plan to die," he said plainly.

Hermione had tears in her eyes. She was possibly going to lose another friend for good. She felt helpless. She should have found more spells. She should have been in better shape so her stamina and magic would last longer. This was something she would correct now. She only hoped it wouldn't be too late for Harry and he would somehow make it out of here alive as well.

Elsa looked to Harry seriously as she said, "Remember, Harry. All you have to do is keep him from getting the stone. You just need to buy time. We will get the professors to come." She then wrapped him in a tight hug as she said quietly, "Be safe… I don't want to lose my first and best friend. You also owe me a dance where you aren't influenced by a super powered cheering charm."

Harry gave a relieved chuckle to that. "I guess I do. Though I might stop by that room again and snag those charmed dancing shoes. My skills sure as hell aren't worth two knuts." Elsa gave a watery giggle at his poor joke.

Elsa stepped back as Hermione came rushing in. Harry was relieved he managed to keep hold of the potion vial once she glomped on to him. "Harry…" Hermione sobbed. "Harry, you have to come back. Ron will want to know we won. He'll send peeves after you in the afterlife if you don't come back, and that's if I don't first."

Harry gave a bit of a chuckle, "I think I like Elsa's bargain better." Hermione hugged him tighter in reply. Once she let go, Harry took in a deep breath and let it out. "Well this is it. I'll see you all on the other side."

Harry quickly took what was left of the potion. His body felt cold, but it was also a bit familiar in a way. It reminded him a bit of how it felt to be by Elsa's side during winter. He was cold, but it wasn't too uncomfortable. However, being by Elsa's side in winter was much more... something than this was. He just wasn't exactly sure what that something was.

"How does it feel?" Hermione asked.

"It feels like ice is running through my body in a way. But I don't feel unpleasant. Just cold, but not **cold** ," Harry said.

"Quick! Go through, Harry," Elsa said.

Hermione nodded and added, "Before it wears off."

Harry nodded and took in one last calming breath before looking at both of his friends one last time. He turned and started walking towards the black flames. "I'm coming for you. I'll stop you," he said as he stepped through the flames. He could tell they were hot, but they weren't affecting him.

He looked forward and saw a long corridor in front of him. He steeled his nerves one last time and channeled Neville's courage from when they decided this path. "We can't let him or his followers come back. No matter the cost," he told himself.

Harry opened the door when he reached the end of this final corridor. It wasn't Professor Snape he saw inside. It wasn't even Voldemort. It was someone else. Someone they hadn't ever expected… It was Professor Quirrell.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28: The Stone's Fate

"You?!" Harry asked not able to hide his surprise. He was also shocked to see the mirror here as well.

Professor Quirrell gave a confident chuckle as he looked at the mirror. "Oh, we are very surprised it seems." There wasn't a hint of his stutter. His voice was cool and calm. It was confident. "I was wondering if I would run into you and your little friends here." His eyes narrowed. "I was really looking forward to putting that blonde menace in her place!" There was anger in his voice. "The way she embarrassed me in my own class… Dared to call me incompetent."

He seemed to take in a breath and calm himself. "It doesn't matter. It helped me even more in the end." He then turned to look at Harry finally. "Tell me, Potter. Who were you expecting to find here?"

Harry was still in shock, but went along with Quirrell. He needed to buy time after all. "Snape…"

Quirrell gave a laugh at that. "Ahhh yes. Severus does seem the type doesn't he. It helps that he too likes to take his meals in private occasionally as well. I'm guessing your friends think the same thing."

Harry nodded and then shook his head in confusion. "But Snape tried to kill me!"

Quirrell gave a cruel smile. "No. I tried to kill you. Severus was trying to save you by muttering a counter jinx. I almost had you too. If it wasn't for that muggle friend of yours with the hair. She bumped into me when she set Snape's cloak on fire. I failed to kill you then, but at least I got a laugh out of that failure." Quirrell went back to looking at the mirror. Harry wondered how it got here.

"I can't believe it…" Harry said stunned. "Snape tried to save me?"

"Of course he did, Potter," Quirrell said as if he was talking to a spoiled little child. "Why do you think he wanted to referee the next game? He wanted to keep a better eye on you. He wanted to be able to save you if something happened. He probably saw it as a bonus that he could interfere with Gryffindor's chances of winning as well. Severus… Always having extra motives. He didn't need to worry about you in the end. I wasn't about to try anything with Professor Dumbledore there. It would have put my cover at unnecessary risk."

Quirrell then stopped again and looked at Harry once more and gave him a smug grin. Harry found it very disconcerting. "Speaking of which… What did you think of it, Potter? No one would suspect p-p-p-poor s-s-stuttering Professor Q-Q-Quirrell. Not when they had someone like Severus to suspect, even more so because of his past."

Quirrell then snapped his fingers. Ropes wrapped about Harry and tied him to a nearby pillar in the room. Harry was trying to think of how to buy time here. " _Get him talking…_ " he reminded himself.

"You're much too nosy to live, Potter. Always scurrying around the school. Popping up in the most inconvenient of places. For a moment, I thought you would find me looking at the beast guarding the trapdoor on Halloween," he said.

"You let that troll in?" Harry asked. Somehow his anger at this realization didn't bleed through and instead seemed like surprise or curiosity.

"Oh yes I did. I have a gift with trolls. You saw what I did with the one here, surely. The one at Halloween was to be a distraction. I was going to look at the third-floor corridor while everyone else was in the dungeons. Snape however, headed me off. He was already starting to put pieces together. Trying to scare me. Like he could when I have Lord Voldemort on my side."

Quirrell gave a mock sigh as he said, "Sadly the troll on Halloween didn't even manage to kill you or that blonde menace. To top it all off, the stupid dog didn't even bite Severus' leg off properly."

He focused back on his current task then. "What do I do here. The mirror is the key… But what does it do?" Professor Quirrell asked. He then spoke with a hint of begrudging respect. "Trust Dumbledore to come up with something like this. I see myself getting the stone and handing it over to my master… But how do I get it?"

"But I saw you and him in the forest," Harry said as he tried to distract the man. He only hoped the mirror's cruelty would be enough to further distract Quirrell. He hoped the man didn't figure it out.

"Ah yes…. That little encounter. Snape's suspected me from the start. He kept trying to scare me. Perhaps he too bought the stuttering act to an extent. Regardless, he was trying to threaten me. Trying to figure out how far I had gotten," Professor Quirrell said as he circled behind the mirror.

"What is the trick. What did he do? Grrr… This is taking longer than I wished, Dumbledore… It doesn't matter. He's in London. I'll be long gone before he gets back… I'll be by my master's side." Harry didn't like how dreamy Quirrell sounded about being by Voldemort's side.

"But Snape's always seemed to hate me so much…" Harry started sounding just as confused as he was.

Quirrell let out another laugh. "That's the understatement of the year. He hates you more than anything. He went to school with your father. They hated each other even wished the other dead on more than one occasion, I'm sure. But he never wanted you dead. However, hate doesn't even begin to cover his loathing of you, Harry."

"Do I break the mirror? The stone's inside?" Quirrell started to ramble to himself while he thought things over.

"But I heard you sobbing in your office earlier this week…" Harry said. " _Anything to keep him distracted,_ " he thought.

Quirrell now had a look of genuine fear. "My master doesn't tolerate failure. I failed to get the stone from Gringotts. He was not pleased… I met him during my travels. I served him faithfully since then, but I am not as strong as he is. I've made mistakes. He's been hard on me because he has to be. After the failed heist, he decided he had to keep a closer watch on me. Forgive me, Master! Forgive me! I will get the stone! I will!" He then went back to looking at the mirror.

Harry hated himself. How could he have been so stupid? He'd seen Quirrell there in the Leaky Cauldron. He even shook hands with him and talked to him. That was the same day the heist happened after Hagrid had emptied the vault.

" _You were overwhelmed, by the magical world. You couldn't have known any better,_ " a voice in his head sounding like Elsa told him. It was true, but he should have been more aware. He should have noticed the details. Like Hermione when she noticed Fluffy was guarding a trap door when they ran into him that first time. Like Elsa always seemed to know what he was thinking at times and how she knew the real reason he liked Quidditch so much right away. Like Neville when he knew what Ron was going to do during the chess match, before even he or Hermione had noticed.

Quirrell grew frustrated. "I don't understand it. I don't know what to do. Help me, Master!"

Harry had not expected a voice would reply seemingly coming from Quirrell's turban. "Use the boy…. He knows…," it seemed to wheeze.

Quirrell turned to Harry with angry eyes. "Tell me, Potter! What do I do with this mirror?" He pointed his wand at Harry.

Before Harry could even reply, if he was going to reply. Quirrell brought him over to the mirror and pressed his face against it. "Tell me, Boy… what do you see?"

Harry closed his eyes. He wasn't sure what was going to happen if he looked into the mirror. "Open your eyes!" Quirrell hissed.

Harry refused.

Quirrell muttered something and then Harry's eyes were wide open and he was looking right into the mirror. " _Anything, but the stone… Anything, but the stone!_ " he pleaded mentally and deep down in his heart as he was forced to look. He wanted his time to be up. He wanted help to arrive.

Harry looked into the mirror. He saw the door behind him burst open. In its frame stood Elsa, she was angry and determined. She had a look on her face that was just as severe if not more so than what he briefly glimpsed when they thought Ron was going to die. Her eyes were ice cold. They were so ice cold that Quirrell was frozen in place with little effort on her part. She was followed by an ice storm of anger. She was there to help him. She then turned and showed him a friendly smile as she hugged him.

"What do you see?" Quirrell asked. There was a mix of eagerness and frustration in his voice.

" _Lie to him… Buy more time…_ " Harry told himself. He kept looking at the mirror. He smiled. "I see… I see…."

"Yes, yes, get on with it!" Quirrell interrupted.

"I see myself getting the house cup! Dumbledore's congratulating me! Everyone's applauding me!" Harry said.

Quirrell tossed him to the side in frustration. "Stupid child!" He looked into the mirror again. Harry realized he was free of his bonds and was about to run for the door.

"He lies! He lies! He tries to run!" the second voice said in its high pitch wheeze.

"Potter!" Quirrell said before he snapped his fingers again. This time Harry felt as if he was petrified in place.

The other voice spoke again. "Let me speak to him… Let me see him… Face-to-face…"

Quirrell didn't seem to like this idea. "No… Master. Not now. You are too weak… Don't have the strength…"

"I have strength for this…" it said in a dusty sounding voice. Quirrell gave a nod and stood in place. His free hand twisted in a weird way as it started to unravel the turban Quirrell always wore. Once the turban was off, his body contorted in another bizarre way and then Harry saw it. On the back of Quirrell's head, there was another face. Though this face looked like it was a cross between a snake and a human before then being stretched and placed on the back of Quirrell's head.

"Voldemort?" Harry couldn't help but ask.

"Yes, Harry. It is me," the voice said in what he assumed was meant to be friendly.

"See what I have become, Harry? You did this to me. I'm forced to drink unicorn blood to survive. I'm forced to share and inhabit someone else's body," Voldemort said in that trying to be friendly but not really voice of his.

"But you can change this all, Harry. I will be something more than shadow and vapor. You can rule by my side. You can join me and we will change the world," Voldemort said in what Harry was sure was an empty promise.

"Now why don't you tell me how it is you controlled what you saw in the mirror," Voldemort said his slit eyes narrowing a little.

Harry felt himself break free of whatever it was that was keeping him in place. "Never!" Harry shouted. He was about to run, but then Voldemort's eyes focused on him and his head started to feel as if it wanted to split apart.

"I admire bravery. Your mother was brave too. Your father was foolish. He tried to attack me to hold me back," Voldemort said as Quirrell's body started walking backwards towards Harry in a very creepy way. "Your father would have died regardless. I never liked him. But your mother, she didn't have to die. She could have joined me, but in the end she too proved foolish and chose to die needlessly instead of serving her better!"

"Liar!" Harry shouted through the pain. "She made the right choice!"

"No. Better to live by my side than die pointlessly," Voldemort said as Quirrell's body lunged for Harry.

Quirrell's body contorted again and the former DADA professor tried to grab on to Harry. But when he did, he let out a horrifying scream. "It burns! IT hurts!"

"Get him!" Voldemort screeched. "Kill him!"

Quirrell grabbed Harry again and strained through the pain to keep hold of Harry. Harry got an idea. He started trying to grab Quirrell back on the skin. Harry placed his hands on Quirrell's face and they all three screamed in pain.

After a minute, there was a crumbling sound before Voldemort let out a deafening wail. He turned into some kind of shadow and vapor as he cried in pain and left through a vent in the room. Harry was still in pain, but the room was silent. Quirrell was silent. Quirrell looked like he had turned into dust and was crumbling away.

Harry looked up. His vision was growing darker. He vaguely noticed the door burst open and barely noticed a shape that looked a lot like Elsa standing in the door frame. There was even the icy aura seemingly formed around her. Harry chuckled and said to himself, "One final… cruel vision from the mirror…" Everything went dark.

{-} {-} {-}

Harry just walked through the flames leaving both Elsa and Hermione behind. Elsa paced. She didn't want to leave. Not yet. There had to be something more she could do. She looked at the fire and got an idea. Maybe just maybe it would work.

"So, are we going to go now?" Hermione asked.

Elsa turned to her quickly. Hermione was a little startled by this. Elsa was cool and calm as she said, "You go ahead, Hermione. Do what he said. Get to Professor Flitwick, McGonagall, or Dumbledore quickly. If you can't find them fast enough, call for Joe the Dependable in the name of Mistress Elsa."

Hermione wasn't sure what that was about, but she kept it in mind. She would ask later, if she remembered. There was a lot going on. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to try and see if there is another way through here," Elsa said pointing at the black flames. She would explain later if she had to about Joe the Dependable. "I know it is very unlikely, but if there is even the slightest chance than we have to try."

Hermione nodded and took the other potion. She then ran back through the purple flames. Elsa turned around and looked at the black flames. She paced more as she looked at them curiously. She couldn't really fully feel their flows. She wasn't sure if she should try this or not.

She took in a deep breath and conjured a ball of ice and threw it at the black flames. It was suspended in air in the middle of the flames for three seconds before vaporizing. Elsa tried again. This time she aimed closer to the base of the flames.

The flames partly froze. Elsa used an ice spike and threw it at the frozen flame. The ice shattered but the flame remained whole and was burning again. The ice princess frowned in thought, her mind working in overdrive.

She tried a few different consistencies of ice power infused ice balls. She got one to freeze for a total of 15 seconds before it vaporized. That would be long enough if she figured out how to freeze the flames in a way they weren't an obstacle.

Elsa tried making an even bigger one. This one she used her powers to place in the fire. It stayed suspended just fine. She looked at it for a moment before it vaporized. "Maybe that will work…" she said to herself.

She made the bigger ice ball again and placed it. She then used her powers to blast the center out. The remaining shell held the flames at bay and kept the center free of the fire. Elsa smiled. She looked at the fire blocking her path again.

"I can do this," Elsa said. She then used her ice power and made a large and tall ice stone. It was taller than her and wider than her. She placed it in the fire and quickly knocked out the center of it before dashing through.

The ice block vaporized just as the back of her skirt cleared it. It wasn't as long as the 15 seconds, but it worked. She would have to figure something out on the way back maybe, but that didn't matter now.

Elsa entered a door and found herself in a long corridor. She groaned in frustration. "Why does it have to be so long?" she yelled. She wasn't wearing her outer cloak, so on the plus side she could at least run the corridor without having to worry about possibly tripping over it.

Elsa ran as fast as she could down the corridor. She saw the door at the other end. She got ready to blast it open with her ice powers. She was throwing caution to wind. Harry's life and stopping Voldemort/Snape was far more important than keeping her powers secret from her friends. She concentrated and sent an ice battering ram at the door.

The door exploded open and the ice battering ram seemed to fade away. Elsa drew on her powers and was ready to fight. " _In for a knut. In for a galleon,_ " she said to herself. She might as well go all the way now after that.

When she entered the room, she was not happy with what she saw. She was almost terrified. Harry was laying on the ground and he looked to be in bad shape. He muttered something about the mirror and then went still.

"Harry!" Elsa shouted. "No! No! No!" she shouted as she quickly got on to the ground next to him. She checked his body. His heart was beating, but he wasn't breathing. Elsa quickly pinched his nose and tilted his head back to open his mouth. She took in a breath and placed her lips on his as she exhaled carefully. She didn't want to use too much force and damage his lungs. She breathed again and let the air escape. She breathed again.

Harry spluttered and coughed, but he didn't seem to wake up. However, by some miracle he was breathing again. Elsa sniffed as she wiped the wet tears from her eyes. "He's alive!" she cried in relief. He was in bad shape, but he was alive.

"We need to get him out of here," a voice said to her from nearby before the voice's owner moved over to Harry's side.

{-} {-} {-}

Hermione came through on the other side of the purple flames. She was relieved to see Ron was up. "Oh good! You're awake!"

Ron gave a weak smile. "Yeah… In a lot of pain, but awake. If only my rotten luck hadn't caused that piece of stone to fall on me. That was some quick thinking on Elsa's part. Where is she? Where's Harry? Is it over?"

"Harry went on through the next room… Potion puzzle… Elsa's trying to go after him… We need to get back and find the Professors," Hermione said quickly in half sentences.

"Okay let's get going. How do we get back faster though?" Neville asked as he helped Ron up.

"The brooms," Ron said.

"Can you fly in that condition?" Hermione asked.

"If it means getting Harry and Elsa help faster. You bet your arse I can," Ron said.

With that they left as fast as they could. "There has to be a quick way back through the Transfiguration Maze," Ron said as they entered the resting room between the maze and chess room. They poked around a bit and they found what looked like a secret passageway off to the side.

They entered it and started walking as fast as they could. The passage way started to disappear behind them. This was clearly a one-way trip. It didn't matter to them though. They just needed to go one way.

It took a little longer than they would have liked, but they made it out into the troll room. They didn't even bother to use the mask filtration spell as they marched through it quickly. Neville had provided them with a light. It wasn't as bright as Elsa's was earlier, but it was good enough.

When they entered the Key room, Ron groaned. "Neville? Are we going to be able to speed past the plants with these brooms?"

Neville was in sincere thought when they heard a grandfatherly voice speak. "I wouldn't worry about the plants. You were all going after the stone." Dumbledore wasn't asking a question.

"Harry and Elsa are still going after it. They wanted us to find you or one of the others, Professor," Hermione answered. She then added, "We split up in the potion puzzle room."

"Say no more. Thank you, miss Granger. Follow me quickly," he led them into the cheering charm room, but it wasn't active. He quickly conjured up several comfy chairs for them. "Wait here for me to return," he ordered. He waved his wand and trays of Hogwarts food appeared before them and pitchers of juice. He didn't even wait for a thank you before he was off quickly.

Dumbledore was back in the key room. The other door had locked and the keys were flying again. Dumbledore didn't even glance upwards. He waved his wand in the air and drew the key he needed.

He sped through the troll room. He had many questions to ask them all later, but now he had two students possibly trapped with Voldemort. Dumbledore didn't believe Severus about Quirrell, but he kept the potion master's words in his mind. When he came back and McGonagall told him what had happened he asked the portraits to tell him where Quirrell and Severus were. Severus was in his study. Quirrell was nowhere to be found.

Dumbledore entered McGonagall's maze. He concentrated and waved his wand around a lot in complicated patterns. The result was the whole maze transfiguring into a slightly raised floor with steps leading up it. He crossed that quickly too.

In the chess board room, the pieces had already repaired their selves and retaken their places. The statues blocked the door. Dumbledore waved his wand in the air again while he whispered an incantation. The White King tossed his crown to Dumbledore's feet and the headmaster entered the next room.

In the potion puzzle room, he waved his free hand through the air and sensed the traces of magic Severus used. The Potions' Master had told him that he built in a Headmaster cheat as he called it. The black flames died down and Dumbledore entered the next corridor.

As he moved quickly down the corridor, he heard a loud cry of anguish. He knew the girl's voice was Elsa's. He moved quicker. Once he was close enough, he saw the door had been blown off. He entered the room and saw Miss Evergreen bending down breathing into Harry's mouth. Dumbledore's eyes widened and he couldn't help but pause in worry. Had Harry just died? Was it all over before it even began?

He relaxed in relief when he heard Harry splutter and Elsa cry, "He's Alive!"

Dumbledore came over and looked Harry over quickly. "We need to get him out here," he said. Elsa nodded and Dumbledore waved his wand at Harry and Harry's body floated carefully in front of them. He then waved his wand in front of the mirror and felt relief as he realized the stone was still inside.

Elsa was amazed by the display of magic, but seemed to understand what its purpose was. She seemed relieved and really tired. However, Dumbledore had a feeling once she was rested she would have some words to say with him. He sighed and said, "It really was Quirrell the whole time." Elsa seemed a little shocked momentarily, but then her eyes narrowed and it was apparent she was able to put the pieces together quickly. "Snape had warned me, but I wasn't sure until today."

They continued back in silence after that. There was a round of hugs with the friends once Elsa returned with him and Harry. "He's going to be alright. He's alive. Probably thanks to Miss Evergreen's quick thinking. Where did you learn that trick?"

"CPR," she replied. "I learned how to possibly start a heartbeat back up, and how to give air to someone not breathing. It doesn't always work and there are risks, but it worked here. Harry's lungs seemed to jumpstart after a few breaths."

"That is good to know. Perhaps there is something we can learn from muggles in this," Dumbledore said. "Let's get out of here, shall we?" he asked. The students seemed relieved to hear that.

He was able to get them all out safe and quickly. They didn't even grumble when he had them visit Madam Pomfrey. They didn't even resist when the healing matron ran all of her scans on them and started giving them potions. They were all happy to sleep when she told them to rest. Dumbledore was once again reminded of how remarkable students could be even if they were first years. He couldn't marvel for long though and went to his office. There was much he needed to do quickly.

{-} {-} {-}

Harry saw a strand of something white blonde dancing above him. He grabbed for it. It was fine to the touch and smooth. His eyes opened and he jolted up right. He looked around quickly, but soon relaxed. He was in the Hospital Wing. Not his favorite place, but it meant they did it. They had won.

"Harry, do you think you could let go of my hair?" Elsa asked him. Harry blushed as he let go. She smiled at him and gave him a hug. Harry perhaps returned the hug more eagerly than he would have thought. "It's good to see you're awake. It's been three days. We've kind of been on a rotation when it comes to watching you during visiting hours."

"I didn't let them win. It was Quirrell the whole time! I still didn't let him and Voldemort win. Dumbledore used the mirror to protect the stone. I might have panicked and tried to get it for myself so they wouldn't, but I remembered our discussion about it and put my faith in the mirror's cruel magic," Harry said.

Elsa gave him another hug. "I knew you wouldn't lose, but you better not almost die like that again. You stopped breathing. I had to start your lungs again. That was when Dumbledore arrived. It seems he decided to turn around before he made it to the ministry. He came in and helped get us all out. I'm thinking he asked McGonagall and knew what we did."

"How's Ron?" Harry asked.

"He recovered pretty quickly. He walked out of the gauntlet with us. Dumbledore brought us all here with you. Madam Pomfrey got to work quickly and made all of us stay the night after we got out," Elsa said.

"Were you hurt somehow?" He asked in concerned. She hadn't seemed hurt, but maybe he just didn't notice.

Elsa smiled at him and shook her head. "Ron was the only one hurt, but the rest of us were magically exhausted and such."

Harry sighed in relief and closed his eyes for a moment to take in a deep breath. "I'm glad that's over." He smiled. "I'm glad we all did it."

"Did you all really watch over me the whole time?" Harry asked.

"More or less. At least one of us would be here at a time. Only during visiting hours though and we did have our meals," Elsa explained.

She then gave him a bit of a teasing grin. "You're famous and Mr. Popular once again. Everything that happened down there was strictly between the five of us, so as things go here everyone knows about it. They are of course filling in each other on the 'true details only they know about'. I believe the current rumor with the girls is that you, Ron and Neville wrestled a troll in nothing but your small clothes. The twins laughed at that and said it meant you three passed the true Gryffindor test and they ended up getting you a special gift. I believe you have a nicely wrapped Hogwarts toilet seat waiting for you on your bed or so Ron's told me."

Harry sighed but gave a chuckle. "What are they saying about you and Hermione?" he asked.

"Well I am now the Rebellious Warrior Ravenclaw Princess. One person claimed I'm wearing some kind of legendary mythical armor underneath my school uniform at all times and ready for action. Hermione isn't getting as much attention, but everyone now sees her as some kind of awesome bookworm part time adventuring hero." Harry couldn't help but laugh out loud to that. Elsa joined him with her own laugh. "No doubt the so-called truth has twisted yet again."

"Perhaps once you all change Harry Watch Shifts I'll ask the next person for an update," Harry said earning a giggle from Elsa. He wasn't under any illusion. He'd have to stay at least the rest of today before Madam Pomfrey lets him go. He might get lucky and be allowed to attend meals in the Great Hall.

Elsa motioned to the stack of gifts by his bed. "People have been coming and going the whole time. The Quidditch team also helped watch over you, even though Oliver was upset you got yourself in the hospital and missed the last game yesterday. Gryffindor lost badly. You don't have a backup seeker so Slytherin ended up winning the game and the cup."

Harry frowned to that.

"They don't hold it against you. Oliver and Ron also aren't discounting the whole stone thing as some super-secret Slytherin plot to get you out of the last game for fear of losing," Elsa said with a smile. Harry laughed to that, but wished he hadn't been so badly hurt so he could have been there for the last game.

"Good! I thought I heard you were up. You have another guest, Mr. Potter," Madam Pomfrey said as she came over. "Miss Evergreen I believe he will want to-"

"She can stay, Madam Pomfrey. I doubt she would have it any other way," Dumbledore said as he came into the room where they were.

Elsa looked to Professor Dumbledore as an equal, which shocked Harry greatly but also in a way made sense, as she said, "Good to know you aren't going back on your word. I waited like you asked."

"I thank you for that, Miss Evergreen," the headmaster replied. "Well… Shall we start with Harry then?" he asked and she nodded.

Harry did have a lot of questions. He wasn't sure if he could ask them though, but getting encouraging looks from both Dumbledore and Elsa was enough. "What will be the Stone's fate?"

"Destroyed naturally," Dumbledore said.

"But what about Nicolas and his wife?!" Harry asked in surprise.

Dumbledore gave him an approving look. "You all really did figure it all out." Harry blushed a little. Elsa remained calm and focused. Dumbledore took a seat nearby. "Hogwarts was never meant to be a permanent resting place for the stone. At most, it would have been here two years but most likely only one year. Nicolas and Perenelle were already planning to destroy it before any of this happened. However, with all of the people going in and out of their home evaluating their estate. They didn't want to leave it there. They are powerful, but they are really old and are ready to move on. They will still live a few years more with the Elixir of life stock they already have."

Dumbledore shifted in his seat. "Nicolas and his wife have been good friends of mine and I learned a lot from them. So, I told them I would keep it safe for them until they were ready to destroy it. Hogwarts was a really good choice because it took this long before it was really threatened, even if by a former part of our staff. Gringotts wouldn't have worked as you know given the vault was broken into after you and Hagrid fortunately emptied it. That was perhaps a lucky break on our part and something I should have expected as a greater possibility then I did."

Harry nodded and then looked at his own hands darkly. "What happened to Quirrell? Did I kill him?"

Elsa forced him to look into her eyes. "You only fought with him like that to protect your own life and everyone from Voldemort. Remember Neville's words."

Harry nodded but he still felt unclean. Dumbledore spoke, "Quirrell had already given his body and life force to Voldemort before you even came in contact with him. Quirrell was little better than a walking corpse when you fought him, Harry."

Harry felt better hearing that, even if he didn't fully believe it. It probably helped that Elsa had an arm around him while she sat next to him and listened to Dumbledore. "How did you come up with that bit about the mirror?" he asked.

Dumbledore stood up and sighed. "I have a confession to make. I can't really take full credit for that. The mirror is an ancient item of myth and legend. It appears randomly throughout history when you look into it. I had found it in Hogwarts right before the holiday break started. I wasn't sure what to do with it at first. I then happened to notice you were visiting it and so I put off dealing with it. I felt it could be an extra Christmas gift for you, Harry."

Harry's hands tightened into fists while he grabbed the covers of his hospital bed. Elsa gave his shoulder a squeeze. "It wasn't until I happened to overhear the discussion you two had that decided what to do with it. I didn't know that would be such a moment for you two, and I am sorry I unintentionally saw it all. I was about to move it when I noticed someone was coming. I was thinking it would be you again, Harry. I thought I would let you see it one last time and then explain to you what the mirror was. I was going to tell you that it showed you your family as they really were, even if it was just a reflection of your heart's desire. Hearing what you said about it, Elsa. Got me thinking maybe one of the myths was more truth than fiction."

He looked away a little as he recalled the old tale. "There are many myths and stories that follow the mirror around, especially that of its creation. Most say it was created as a gift to show us what our goal in our lives should be. However, one myth says an ancient powerful dark wizard created it for his rival. He then gave the gift to his rival acting as if he was finally accepting his many defeats and wanted to make peace. However, he had made that mirror to show one's true heart's desire. Not the mind's desire. The heart can't easily, if ever, truly be changed. The mind on the other hand can be persuaded."

Elsa shifted ever so slightly and seemed a little caught off guard by the headmaster's words. Harry noticed this and put that information away for now. He was more curious what Dumbledore would say next.

"What the dark wizard did want was for his rival to be so obsessed with what he saw in the mirror that he ignored everything else and slowly wasted away. The Dark wizard was very successful in this. He took all of the influence his rival once had. He found a way to take most of the man's wealth. He even managed to finally win over the heart of the beautiful witch they had both been pursuing. It was later discovered the rival had intended to marry her and if not for the mirror and what it did to their relationship, she would have easily said yes," Dumbledore said and sighed.

"That's a terrible story…" Harry muttered.

Dumbledore gave him a sorrowful smile and said, "Life unfortunately is not always a happy ending. This tale wasn't even a happy ending for the dark wizard either. When he had won everything, the dark wizard went to his old rival to gloat. He had his servants take the mirror away one night while the rival was asleep. When morning came and the rival went to see the mirror, he instead met the Dark wizard.

'I've taken all you once held dear. The people see me as their leader now. Your wealth is mine. Your lover has given me both her heart and her body on many occasions. My plan succeeded. That mirror is not a gift. It is the worst of curses. It shows you a happiness you would never have been able to have. Now that all is done, I have taken the mirror that you so dearly loved. As far as the others are concerned, I am doing it to help an old rival turned dear friend while feeling sorry the wonderful gift I gave him has done so much harm to his life without him even knowing it.' The dark wizard stood up confidently and laughed at the broken state his rival was in…

However, when you take away someone's obsession they aren't truly defeated. They will become unpredictable. The dark wizard dropped his guard and his crazed and sorrowful rival lashed out and ended up killing the both of them. The dark wizard's wife was broken by this, but she embraced what remained of her family and lived on. The mirror disappeared somewhere along the way during its transportation from the rival's house."

Elsa felt a little better about this end. She didn't like that the rival who was a victim died, but she was glad the dark wizard eventually got what he deserved.

"I've never liked that tale, and I never thought it might actually be closer to the truth. If it wasn't for hearing your conversation, which again I am sorry I intruded on even if unintentionally, I would have never thought it would be a rather clever defense for the stone," Dumbledore said.

"I hope you can destroy it too, Professor. Sorry, but I'm not very fond of that mirror," Harry said not hiding his dislike for the object.

Dumbledore turned to him seriously and said, "That is the decision I have also made. I intend to destroy it as well, but such an object may not be able to be destroyed. Fortunately, we were able to successfully remove the stone from it. The last thing either Nicolas or I want is for the stone to randomly appear alongside the mirror and fall into the hands of someone who should not have it. Luckily, Perenelle was able to get the stone for us. When I tried to get the stone, it was as I feared but wanted to happen. I saw myself and Nicolas successfully destroying the stone and the mirror. When Nicolas looked into the mirror he saw us destroying the stone. She was able to get the stone out and then handed it over to us,"

Harry and Elsa both felt really relieved hearing that. Neither of them liked the stone or the mirror at this point.

"Why was Voldemort targeting me specifically? I ask because of some of the things he said to me down there. And I've had… flashes of memory I guess. In those flashes, I see a green light and then I hear him talking to my mom. He tells her to stand aside that she didn't have to die. Only I had to die…" Harry asked.

Dumbledore gave a weary sigh. "That is not a question I can answer at thi-,"

"Does it have to do with prophecies?" Harry asked.

Dumbledore was almost floored by that. He managed to sit down instead. "What do you mean? Harry?"

Harry looked to him. "In the forest, Firenze mentioned prophecies. Also, there has to be a reason he came after me specifically when I was an infant."

"That is not a question I can answer at this time. It is not something for a child to hear," Dumbledore said. Harry folded his arms and frowned to that.

Elsa narrowed her eyes at Dumbledore. "You don't get to leave it at that, Headmaster," she simply said.

He was completely caught off guard here and tried to defend himself. "Hearing the answer will end any chance of a normal childhood..."

"Harry hasn't had the chance for a normal childhood ever since Voldemort killed his parents and tried to do the same to him. He's had even less chance the moment you left him in the hand of relatives that don't care for him," Elsa said. She wasn't letting him get off that easily. She didn't know all of the details about Harry's life with the Drusleys, but there was enough there in what he said it was clear they didn't care for him.

Harry also seemed to be encouraged by her words. "Before Hagrid met me, I believed my parents died in a car crash drunk while they left me at home alone as an infant."

Dumbledore's eyes actually widened a little at that.

"Don't even think about being concerned for my childhood either, Professor. You know well why I have never had a normal childhood," Elsa said while looking him in the eyes. They weren't leaving him any options to use to get out of explaining further.

The aged headmaster folded his hands in thought. He wasn't sure what to do here. He would have to meet them half way. He wasn't sure how though. He only hoped they would be willing to meet him half way as well. He gave a sigh and calmly said, "There is a prophecy regarding Voldemort and because of his actions you as well, Harry. I really do not wish to share it with you in completion at this time. However, it does say that you will have the power to destroy him. There are many things this power could be and even I only have theories at this moment."

Harry gave a sigh. "So that means until he is completely gone he will keep coming after me in some manner." Dumbledore nodded. Harry looked lost and defeated.

Elsa gave Harry a hug and said, "That means we should all be ready to help you. That means we should find even more time to enjoy ourselves and cherish those memories. I won't leave your side. And given how we all pitched in to help with the stone. I highly doubt the others will either." She turned to Professor Dumbledore and asked, "This prophecy doesn't mean he has to do everything on his own, does it?"

Dumbledore felt relieved it seemed maybe they would go half way with him. Perhaps he should slowly get them more involved. Let them know more a little at a time. He would have to treat them as more than just students, but he would try that. "No. It just states that Harry will have the power to destroy him and power Voldemort knows not. It does not say Harry has to end Voldemort on his own."

Harry actually felt better hearing that. Elsa gave him a smile. Harry then asked, "Do I have to return to the Dursleys this summer?"

Dumbledore nodded. "When your mother died she left a strong protection on you, Harry. It makes it so as long as you are with family you can't be found or harmed outside of Hogwarts by Voldemort's followers still at large. It also keeps away all of the press and so called fans."

Harry was resigned to this answer, but he saw what the Professor told him. "However, on the bright side, the magic will be fully charged by your birthday each year. That means if any of your friends wish to have you stay over for the summer you can after your birthday," the aged headmaster said to him causing the boy to feel relieved and hopeful.

Harry next said, "You will have to tell me everything about this prophecy someday, Professor. Will you choose to tell me it all sometime?"

Dumbledore sighed. "I really wished to keep this from you, Harry. I didn't want to place an undue burden on you, but it seems I was getting a bit caught up in my own thoughts and wishes, as I sometimes do. I will tell you, Harry. Not today. I will tell you it all when you are older. Even if you can't have a normal childhood as I wish for you to have. I will not rob you of it entirely."

He gave another sigh, "However, it is now clear to me that I will not be able to keep you and Miss Evergreen out of it entirely. I do recommend you are careful with what I have already said and will say to you in the future. I know you feel close to the others and perhaps they are as reliable as you think, but you haven't even known each other a full year, yet. People can change. Friendships can change. Either for the better or for the worse."

They all shared a moment of silence together. Professor Dumbledore was about to leave but Harry spoke up again, "How is Voldemort still alive? I mean when he left Quirrell he was nothing but shadow and vapor. That's even how he described himself."

Dumbledore gave a thoughtful nod. "That is something I do not know myself. I have many theories. Too many theories to share with first years that have only finished their first year at Hogwarts. When he was first rising to power Voldemort was obsessed with immortality. Only he knows what all he tried during these pursuits."

Dumbledore gave stretch and stood up, "The truth is I may not even know what it is he has done myself. I may not be able to comprehend it all. I did dabble into myths and ancient powers, but I was never obsessed with learning more about the dark arts. I understand some, but not all. Conversely, there is much magic that I am very knowledgeable of myself that even he would not understand or comprehend. That is why he never came after me directly or very much indirectly. If I ever narrow down what it might be that he has done, then I will share it with you, Harry. Until then I can only hope we continue to delay any plans he may come up with to regain power."

"Do you know what prophecies the centaurs were speaking about?" Elsa asked.

Dumbledore shook his head, "While I was caught off guard by you mentioning prophecy. The truth is the centaurs have their own prophecies and their own types of magic. You would have to ask them and they are very unlikely to share such knowledge with others. Sadly, our fellow wizards have done some terrible things to the centaurs in the past. Just as the centaurs have done terrible things to our own in kind."

Harry had a thoughtful look on his face. He then asked, "When you said a nice extra gift to me, what did you mean?"

Dumbledore smiled to that. "I was referring to it being a gift in addition to your father's cloak."

Harry's eyes widened, "You gave it to me?"

Dumbledore smiled and nodded to that. "The cloak is a family heirloom of sorts. Your father used it many times when he was here with his friends. I expressed interest in it because of how unique it is compared to others and he entrusted it to me."

Dumbledore gave a frown here, "Sadly, before I could return it to him the tragedy happened."

He gave a smile again after a moment, "I would have given it to you sooner, but I thought it would make for a most excellent gift. I couldn't have given it to you while you were with your relatives regardless due to the Statute of Secrecy. When you were first here, I thought about giving it to you then, but I remembered your father talking about how it was Family tradition to give the cloak to the oldest son during Christmas of their first year at Hogwarts."

Dumbledore gave a chuckle here. "That way you would hopefully learn how to stay out of trouble without the cloak first and not rely on it alone. Also, it is much better to learn about the castle some without such an item first."

Harry smiled to this. "What was my father like?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "I mostly knew him later in his life. I did of course know a bit about him as a student, but it wasn't until after Hogwarts that I really would say I grew close to him. He was brilliant, but also a handful as a student from what I could tell. It would be better to ask Professor McGonagall or someone who knew him as a student for more detail. However…"

Dumbledore sat back down and got comfortable as Harry did the same. Elsa looked like she wanted to let them have time alone, but Harry didn't seem to want her to go. She gave in quickly and relaxed. She wouldn't mind hearing stories about Harry's parents. She just didn't want to intrude. Since Harry wanted her to stay, she didn't have a problem with it and so she too listened eagerly as Dumbledore started sharing tales of Harry's father from when he knew the man.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29: School Year's End

"Well then… as much as I have enjoyed our conversation. I really can't put off my end of year duties any longer, I'm afraid," Professor Dumbledore got up and bade Harry and Elsa farewell.

Shortly after the headmaster left, Harry let out a mighty yawn. Madam Pomfrey came back in and huffed before saying, "Really…. Keeping someone recovering from such injuries up this long…" This time she shooed away Elsa as well.

Harry quickly drifted off to sleep.

When he next woke up it was late morning. "Good you're up. You have a visitor," Madam Pomfrey said. She opened the door and in came a blustering Hagrid.

"Harry… it's all me fault! If onl' I hadn't opened me blubbering hole! None o' this would have happened."

Harry assured him that it was okay and that everything was fine. "But it innit…" Hagrid gave a sniff and wiped his nose on the sleeve of his robe. He then smiled as he said, "I'll make it up ta ye. I'd been working on this for a while now. I wanted ta get it to ye for Christmas, but it took longer than expected." Hagrid handed Harry a photo album.

Harry curiously opened it. His eyes shot open wide. It was a wizard photo album. It was filled with pictures of, "My parents!" Harry said.

Hagrid nodded to him with a watery smile. "Got in touch with some of tha old gang and asked them for pictures of Lilly and James. They delivered. Just took em' awhile."

Harry flipped through it quickly. There were so many pictures. He looked at one that showed his dad and mom in their Hogwarts uniforms dancing in what looked like a park during fall. He flipped some more. There was a picture of their wedding even. Harry beamed at the wedding picture. His mother was so beautiful and full of life. His father looked a little nervous but far more handsome than he'd ever be Harry reckoned. In the wedding picture, there was a tall and well-built man with a beard laughing boisterously as he clasped the nervous looking James on the shoulder.

"Ahhh… That was their best man. He was James' best friend when they were in school…" Hagrid gave another sniff and a mighty blow of his nose. "Sorry, Harry… It's just seeing yer ma and pa again even in this picture is tough. They were so young… There was never a couple I'd seen in me years that loved each other as much as they did." He blew his nose again. "Well I hope ye like it… I should get going though." He stood up and smiled at Harry before leaving.

Harry was told he would be allowed to leave the Hospital Wing just before dinner that night. Harry found himself busy with a lot of visitors the rest of that day. Of course, Elsa, Ron, Hermione, and Neville visited a lot. He was surprised when the whole Gryffindor Quidditch team came and visited him. "Next time could you get hurt after the Quidditch final? Or at the very least heal yourself faster?" Oliver asked.

The twins quickly clasped Harry on a shoulder each.

Fred spoke first, "What Oliver means is-"

George started, "We're glad you're alright-"

"And you have a brand new-"

"Used but genuine and one of a kind-"

"Except for the others-"

"Hogwarts toilet seat waiting just for you!" the twins finished together. Harry let out a laugh at their antics.

Harry was further surprised when later Elsa came by with the other Ravenclaw girls. "Heard ya Wrestled a troll in naught but yer small clothes!" Morag started with a grin as Harry blushed and looked away.

"I told you… It was him, Ron and Neville," Elsa teasingly corrected causing Harry to give her a playful frown, but causing the other girls to laugh.

The whole group talked to him and even shared the more ridiculous stories they had heard about what happened in the Gauntlet. One of them had Harry with Red and Gold face paint shouting, "Freedom!" as he beheaded a sinister Quirrell Voldemort dragon hybrid.

After they talked a little, Morag got closer to Harry and said quietly and sternly, "I don't want ta know what all ya got up ta down there really, but next time be careful. Our princess here was right beside herself with worry. She was a fearing ya'd be in a coma."

Harry gave her a solemn nod, "I already know that. I can't promise to stay out of trouble, but I will do what I can to be better prepared."

Morag gave him a friendly smile. She then stage whispered to Harry, "So did ya ever figure out how much of a chocolate tax, our rebellious warrior princess took from the sweets you were gifted?"

Elsa blushed as she looked to the side and said, "It wasn't that much… besides… I needed to keep up my energy in case he woke up while I was watching."

"Ohh. So, you all know about the Elsa Chocolate tax too?" Harry asked in a far too innocent voice. Morag gave a chuckle as the others did as well.

Elsa eventually joined in as well. She even joked and said, "It's probably a good thing I run so much or I might actually turn into a chocolate goblin like a sitter of mine used to say I was." They all laughed again to this.

Harry was both happy and sad to have dinner in the great hall that night. He was happy because he was out of the hospital wing and he loved the feasts at Hogwarts, but he was sad because he knew tomorrow was the last day at Hogwarts before he had to return to Little Whinging and the Dursleys. Still, eating with everyone else was really nice.

He was a little surprised to get his exam grades and year-end report. He had forgotten all about them. It was kind of funny watching Hermione and Elsa compare each other's grades. Elsa did better in Charms. Hermione did better in Transfiguration. Hermione also did better in DADA, no surprise there given she more or less memorized the entire book and even referenced page numbers. Elsa did better in Potions, Hermione claimed it didn't count because Snape. They were both completely surprised, though they shouldn't have been, when they saw Neville actually got the best grades in Herbology. Harry was just glad he did decently well in all of his classes. Ron was a little panicked because he managed to get a little too high of a grade in one class. He thought that made him get closer to becoming a Percy clone.

{-} {-} {-}

Elsa gave a sigh after she finished her morning run and sneaked into the archive again. She looked it over. She wished she could take all of the journals and books home with her to read over the summer. She was risking taking a few, but it still wasn't enough. She wanted to know all she could about everything her ancestors had to say.

It was at least a relief she actually found in one of them that while Nicolas Flamel knew of who the Evergreens really were he had made a pact with them not to share the knowledge with others apart from his wife who also made the pact as well. Elsa figured she would try to arrange a meeting with them over the summer anyways. She was interested in meeting with them after trying to figure out so much about them this year with the others. She also wanted to thank/confirm that he hadn't told Dumbledore anything about her family's history with the gift, even if by accident.

She knew they were both still in Paris. Vitus wanted to take her on a couple of training trips over this summer and one of his plans was to have her go to France and practice using the language more and to see if she could blend in as a tourist at the very least. It was overkill on her training, but she had asked for this all of those years ago and Vitus was holding her to it. Elsa was fine with that.

Thinking about summer plans got her wondering. "Marvin," she called.

"Yes, Princess Elsa?" the MI asked.

"Do you know how I would keep in touch with my friends over summer?" she asked.

Marvin was in thought for a moment. He then bowed apologetically, "The method changes every so often. I do not know. I would guess the House elves would know though."

She gave him a nod. "Thank you, Marvin."

"Sorry I couldn't have been of more assistance," he replied and then disappeared.

"Joe the Dependable," she called.

Joe popped into existence by her. "Yes, your highness?" he said with a bow.

"How would my friends be able to get in touch with me over the summer?" she asked.

"Theys can eithers reply directly to letters or use this address," he said as a piece of paper appeared in his hand and he passed it to her. Elsa was surprised the address was written legibly. It didn't have the usual house elf grammar quirks either.

"That is being a post office that we uses. House elves work there for wizarding mail. That is the official international address for the Evergreens. We then pick it ups and deliver it. It works for both wizards and muggles, your highness," he explained.

"Thank you very much, Joe. This is important to me," she said with a smile to him. Joe beamed at her and then bowed before popping away again. Elsa then summoned and bade farewell to Marvin for the year before heading out of the archive with the books she wanted to read over the summer. She placed them in her bag before immediately packing them in her trunk. She next made her way to the farewell feast.

Hogwarts had a big celebration feast on the last dinner of the school year. It was big and longer than the usual. It was one last chance to visit with others in the dining hall. Tomorrow they would have a slightly later than usual breakfast before then going down to the Hogsmeade Station and boarding the Hogwarts express and heading back to King's Cross Station. They were supposed to arrive late in the afternoon. The train left from Hogsmeade earlier since the students weren't arriving from all over to get on the train.

The Farewell Feast was also when the house cup was passed out to the winning house. This year it was once again Slytherin that won. They got a good boost from winning the Quidditch cup. The team really just racked up the points before the only seeker playing the game, since Harry was injured, finally caught the golden snitch. Gryffindor managed to make up for the points lost during the Norbert Extraction Operation, but they didn't even have the lead then. Slytherin just widened the gap more to assure themselves victory.

As she made her way to the Great Hall she overheard Draco bragging. "So, Potter. How does it feel to lose the house cup? Slytherin really placed the beat down on Gryffindor last match,"

Elsa was about to say something about his behavior, but Harry spoke up. "Well it seems I lost that bet, Ron. I was thinking my not being there wouldn't matter when playing Slytherin. I figured Slytherin would end up catching the snitch just to end their own misery."

Ron gave a sigh. "Well Fred and George were having a bit of an off day and the chasers were really worried about you the whole time. I guess it can't be helped. It gave Slytherin one last taste of victory before they never see it again come next year."

Neville nodded. "Yeah. I think we were all calling it the pity cup this year anyways. I mean Slytherin lost so badly last time that we all felt a little sorry for them. Plus, Oliver hasn't found a reliable toad to play as your backup yet, Harry. Sadly, Trevor isn't punctual enough." The three of them and a few others who over heard the exchange laughed.

Draco frowned at them and snarled, "Laugh it up! We got the House Cup and the Quidditch Cup this year! You three are just jealous." He then stormed off with Crabbe and Goyle following him.

Elsa gave a smile as she came over to them. "Hello," she greeted.

"Hey," they returned.

She gave a wistful sigh. "Last feast at Hogwarts for this year."

Ron frowned, "Yeah… I'm gonna miss them. The food's always so great." Elsa and the others laughed to that.

"Where's Hermione?" Elsa asked.

"She should be here soon," Neville replied with a bit of a snicker. When Elsa looked to him questioningly he explained. "She's been binge reading in the library. It's almost like she's trying to memorize the whole library before we leave tomorrow."

"Hey! I haven't been that bad…" Hermione said with a frown causing the others to laugh as she came up beside Elsa.

"I don't blame you, Hermione." Elsa gave her female friend an understanding look. They then all went inside to the great hall which was decorated in Slytherin colors. "I'm not really big on the whole house cup thing, but I do kind of wish Slytherin didn't win," Elsa admitted. She then took her seat at the Ravenclaw house table.

Before the feast ended, Professor Dumbledore stood up and spoke. "Another year gone. It seems just like yesterday we were all coming back to Hogwarts from summer break. A lot has happened this year. I must officially inform you all that Professor Quirrell will not be returning as Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor next year."

There was a chorus of scoffs and eye rolls around the hall. No one really was going to miss him. "Now. I must congratulate Slytherin for their efforts in the house cup this year." There was a weak applause from the other houses, but Slytherin was cheering loudly.

"However, recent events must be taken into account." This brought a pause to the applause.

"I have some last-minute points that must be rewarded." People murmured amongst themselves for a minute. The Slytherins did not look pleased. "To Mr. Ron Weasley-"

Ron's ears turned red. He'd never had such a spotlight placed on him. The whole hall was staring at him. "For the best game of Wizard's Chess played at Hogwarts. I award 50 points." People cheered to that. Ron blushed, but beamed.

"To Miss Hermione Granger-"

Hermione blushed this time and she tried to hide behind Harry's cloak.

"For use of cool logic in the face of fire. I award 50 points." Gryffindor cheered! They were up a hundred points.

"To Mr. Neville Longbottom-"

Neville's eyes were wide with shock. He wasn't used to having the spotlight on him either. He also wasn't used to earning points for his house. He usually lost them, even if he had gotten better as the year progressed.

"Courage comes in many forms. Courage that inspires others around you with just a few words is something truly astounding. 50 points." The hall murmured again. Gryffindor was so close… if only they had a few more points.

"To Mr. Harry Potter-"

The hall was quiet and still in anticipation. Draco was looking really angry. He slammed his goblet down on the table. He knew what was going to happen.

"For pure nerve and strength of will. I award 60 points!" The hall erupted. Gryffindor was in the lead. They had beat Slytherin's seven-year reign. "I believe this calls for a change in decoration," Dumbledore said. With a wave of his hand, the green banners with a silver snake were replaced by scarlet banners with a golden lion. Snape was shaking Professor McGonagall's hand with a forced smile. Harry could tell Snape blamed him for the end of his house's winning streak. It was more evidence to tell Harry that just like before Snape hated him. Professor Snape wouldn't kill him just yet, but there was no love lost between them.

The hall cheered, even Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. They all wanted Slytherin taken down. Elsa smiled at her friends at Gryffindor and shouted "Congratulations!" She didn't care for this House Cup business, but she was happy for Harry and the others, even though she wasn't awarded points despite being there as well.

The feast was one for the ages. They all loved it. Slytherin was only partly mad once the feast was over instead of outright furious like they were when the extra points were passed out.

{-} {-} {-}

It was all too soon it seemed like before they were all packed up and on the train back. Harry did his best to enjoy this last bit of freedom. He was not looking forward to more time with the Dursleys, especially after he had experienced what he knew life was supposed to be like. He would just hold out through summer.

"Speaking of Summer," Ron started. He and Neville were talking about summer league quidditch stuff. "You all have to come over and visit!" he said with a grin.

Harry perked up with that. "I would like that! It will give me something to look forward to while putting up with the Dursleys. It will have to be after my birthday. Dumbledore told me I have to stay with the Dursleys until then. Something about wards keeping me protected when I'm not at Hogwarts." Ron nodded to that. He wished Harry could come over sooner, but if it was a question of safety from Death Eaters he could wait.

Hermione was pointedly not looking to Ron. She seemed to be a little pink in the face. She gave a sigh and closed the book she was reading. "I'm sorry, Ron. I can't… My parents have a lot planned for this summer and I kind of missed them."

"Ohhh…" Ron said with a frown. He then looked to her and asked, "Maybe we can at least get together for school supplies shopping?"

Hermione seemed relieved. "I can do that."

Neville gave a sigh as well. "I'm also going to be busy most of the summer, Ron."

"Oh right… You were talking about how your family were going to really start your lordship training," Ron said with a sigh.

Neville nodded. He then gave a smile, "I should be able to do the shopping thing as well, though."

Ron felt a little better at that. He was happy Harry was going to be coming at least, but it wasn't looking good. He wanted all of his friends to visit. He then looked to Elsa with pleading eyes.

"My summers are always busy. This one will especially be busy at the start of it. However, I should be able to visit for a couple of days towards the end. I do want to get back home one last time before the start of school though. I miss my family and especially, Anna," she replied.

"That will work just fine!" Ron said cheerfully. "My family usually does their shopping the week we get our supplies list and those are mailed out towards the end of summer."

"Speaking of mail," Elsa started as she grabbed slips of paper and handed them out. "That is the address you should use to send any mail to me, even owls. Use the same exact address if you ever want to send regular mail as well."

Neville looked his slip of paper over and nodded in understanding. He recognized the address. "This is an odd address," Harry said in thought.

"It's the out of country Owl Post Office," Neville explained. He turned to Elsa, "Can we reply directly?"

She nodded and was relieved. She should have asked Joe a little more about this. "Yes, you can. If I send Hermod to you over the summer you can reply directly that way."

Hermione looked at Neville questioningly. He seemed to realize her question and answered it. "Some countries allow direct replies to international correspondence mail. Others require you use a central location like we do. Meaning Elsa can send us letters directly and we reply. However, we cannot send her a letter directly. International mail has to go to this Owl Post Office. Of course, if you don't know someone's exact location, you can send mail to them even if they are out country. However, if you do know they are out of country and you send them a letter directly, but not in reply you are breaking the law and will get fined if caught."

Ron gave a chuckle. "It's really hard to prove that though, but sending it to this location is for the best. Even if you send out a generalized international letter, if the location is warded against out of country mail apart from the specified location it won't make it."

"Does it cost money?" Hermione asked.

"Sometimes. Depends on the country. Does yours charge, Elsa?" Neville said.

Elsa sighed. "I didn't think to look into that."

"No matter," Ron started. "That just means you would have to pay to accept the mail. I doubt it will in your case, Elsa. Countries are usually very open about that, even if you heard it secondary the person telling you would say so."

"How do you know so much about that, Ron?" Harry asked.

"Bill's in Egypt and Charlie's in Romania," Ron replied. Harry gave an 'oh' in reply. He should have known that. They had seen Charlie not too long ago and Ron said he worked with dragons in Romania.

"Wait!" Elsa said. "Does that mean we broke the law when we sent that letter to Charlie using my owl?" She was going to be upset if the answer was yes. They hadn't told her that was the case.

"Ummm… I didn't really think about that at the time," Ron admitted guiltily. Elsa frowned at him. "Ahhh but… you see since you are an international student and we were using your owl… It doesn't count…"

Neville gave a sigh and said, "You do realize we broke the law anyways during the whole Norbert thing, right?"

Elsa blushed slightly this time. "I guess… you're right."

She then shifted a little bit and said, "Regardless… I'm looking forward to visiting you and your family this summer, Ron."

He beamed at that. He then snapped his fingers. "I should probably formerly introduce you to them all at the station. That way they know who you are. I mean I've written letters, but you know how it is."

{-} {-} {-}

The train ride went really well. Elsa stepped out for a bit to go spend some time with her Ravenclaw friends, but she returned a good bit before the ride was over. When she returned she and Hermione read a book together again.

Harry took a few pictures with his camera and arranged them into his album. He even shared the album Hagrid got him with the others. Ron and Neville liked seeing Harry's parents. Hermione and Elsa liked seeing his mother's wedding dress.

It wasn't long until the train pulled into King's Cross, and Harry wished it wasn't there yet. He wanted the train ride to last even longer. He was at least very grateful to have the photo album with all of the pictures in it. He could even activate the still mode without using his wand. He had already filled a lot of pages in the album. He even had stacks of other pictures stored safely away in his trunk.

When the train came to a stop and let them off, Ron waved and pointed to his mom. It seemed Ginny was with her as well. Harry laughed a little when he heard the younger girl say, "See mom! See It's Harry Potter. I can see him! I see Harry Potter."

The twins seemed to appear out of nowhere as they gave their younger sister a mock stern look. "And what do you have to say to your favorite twins, Ginny?" they asked unison.

Ginny rolled her eyes at them and said, "I see you two all the time."

"Hello, mom. Hello, Ginny," Ron said as he was wrapped in a tight hug from his mom. She then looked around at the others. "These are my friends," he said to her.

Mrs. Weasley then let go Ron and smiled at the others. "Let me see. You must me Hermione," she said pointing to the bushy haired girl. "As Ginny pointed out, you must be Harry," she said smiling at him. "Ohhh. It's good to see you too Neville you've really grown," she said.

Neville blushed in return. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Weasley."

"And you must be Elsa," she said.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Weasley," Elsa said as she gave a polite curtsy and Hermione seemed as if she had made a mistake by not doing the same earlier and followed suit.

"I wanted to apologize for the twins giving you that nickname, Elsa dear," Mrs. Weasley started.

"It's actually changed," Fred said.

"Yes, now she's known as the Rebellious Warrior Ravenclaw Princess," said George.

Mrs. Weasley gave them stern looks. "We didn't change it," they said together putting their hands up innocently. Their mother sighed.

"It is a pleasure to meet you all. I'm glad you all became friends with Ron. Especially since you, Elsa, aren't in the same house," she said.

"Hey, mom. I kind of invited them over to visit for part of the summer. Hermione and Neville can't visit so we were thinking we could arrange to meet up for school shopping. Elsa said she can only visit towards the end of summer for a few days. Harry's pretty much said any time after his birthday works," Ron said.

Mrs. Weasley smiled at that. She was really happy Ron made some good friends he wanted to invite over. "We'll set it up. Do you know how to reach everyone?" she asked Ron. He nodded and showed her the address Elsa gave him. She looked at it and immediately understood it.

"There isn't any mailing fee either," Ron said.

Mrs. Weasley nodded and spoke to them all, "I'll be sure Ron gets in touch with you all regarding plans."

Neville's Gran soon made her way over to them as well. Neville felt a little bad about not looking for her sooner. He quickly blushed and waved her over. "Gran, Over here! Sorry, Ron was just introducing us to his mom."

They then went through a new round of introductions. "I'm glad my grandson was able to make such friends at Hogwarts. Thank you all for taking care of him. Especially you, Elsa. He's told me that you've been helping him with Potions."

Elsa gave a smile and bowed her head in thanks. "He's actually really good. It's just Professor Snape gets on his case a lot in class. Neville's actually really good with plant ingredients."

Mrs. Longbottom smiled at that. As they waited to leave through the barrier, Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Longbottom talked and started to already set up the shopping trip. "I am sorry my grandson had to decline your son's generous offer, Mrs. Weasley."

"It's alright," Mrs. Weasley assured her.

"We plan on really diving into his lordship training this summer. He started it back during the holidays. It regrettably takes a lot of time," Mrs. Longbottom explained.

Mrs. Weasley then turned to Neville and said, "I wish you the best of luck, Neville." Her family didn't have to worry about such things, but she knew enough about what it was like.

When they finally made it through the barrier he overheard Ron sigh and say, "I get why we have the Statute of Secrecy, but sometimes it really can be annoying. It takes so long to get through the barrier."

Harry paused in step as his eyes lit up. He then chuckled. His chuckle grew louder. His friends looked to him. "The Statute of Secrecy keeps us from using magic, but the Dursleys don't know that." He laughed again.

Ron quickly joined him. "Brilliant, mate!" He raised a hand to Harry's side and Harry immediately high fived it. The others laughed as well. Hermione warned him not to get in trouble before she spotted her parents and ran off to quickly greet them. "You think she'll remember to introduce us all?"

In response, Hermione and her parents left. Hermione was excitedly telling them all she could about the school year. She was positively bouncing in place while she used her hands enthusiastically. Her dad was taking care of the cart and had to dodge one of his excited daughters' arms every so often. Harry quietly said to Elsa, "That's why I was sure she was going to knock all of the potions on the floor in the last puzzle room."

Elsa gave a giggle in return. "I was thinking the same thing. That's why I quickly grabbed up the potion. I didn't want her knocking something over." Harry chuckled to that.

Soon Elsa parted from them as well. "I'm going this way," she replied as she pointed towards a VIP Smoking Lounge that all the muggles seemed to ignore as they walked past it. There was also a line of other students waiting to enter as well.

As she left the twins gave a mischievous grin and then shouted to her, "By the way, Elsa! It was actually Padma who started the nickname! Not us! Wish we had though." She looked back at them blinking a few times before she entered the VIP Smoking Lounge.

Mrs. Longbottom found it a little curious when the girl headed that way. She knew the people who usually used that travel point. " _Just who are you, Elsa?_ " she thought to herself. Her grandson might have made a much more interesting friend than he knew.

Once the Longbottoms left their company as well, Harry heard a loud voice say, "There you are, Boy." It was his uncle. Uncle Vernon looked just as large as ever. Maybe even a little larger. "It's about time," Uncle Vernon said as he came over and took the luggage cart Harry had with him.

"You must be Harry's family," Mrs. Weasley said as her children waited around her.

"In a manner of speaking…" Vernon said. It was clear that he did not approve of this woman or her brats. He wouldn't want anything to do with them, even if the lot of them weren't freaks. "Come on now. We haven't got all day," Uncle Vernon then started to walk off.

Harry hung back. "It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Weasley," he said. She gave him a nod while she looked disapprovingly at Uncle Vernon. Harry turned to Ron. "I'll be seeing you later then. I look forward to visiting."

Ron gave him a nod and whispered conspiratorially, "Remember we can't actually use magic on them. It doesn't matter how tempted the thought."

Harry gave a chuckle to that. "I'll have a lot of fun with them, but won't break any laws. Hermione wouldn't forgive me for getting myself expelled over summer."

Ron chuckled to that. "No, she wouldn't. Elsa wouldn't either." He then waved as Harry gave him one last wave goodbye.

"Did he remember to pack the toilet seat we got him?" Fred asked loudly enough to get his Mother's attention.

Ron laughed and said, "I don't rightly know."

"He should thank us really," Fred said. "It wasn't easy getting it for him."

George appeared next to Fred. "Tisk Tisk, Gred!" He gave a grin as he said, "We both know it was mom who came up with the idea of blowing up Hogwarts' toilets to get the seats. He should thank her."

"Fred! George!" Mrs. Weasley shouted as the twins sped off towards the exit laughing together.

Harry chuckled silently as he happened to catch a glimpse of the scene. He was going to miss Hogwarts and his friends, but he was going to have so much fun with the Dursleys this summer, especially Dudley.


	30. Book 2 Prologue

Book 2 Prologue: A Pure Blood Lord's Thoughts

Lord Lucius Malfoy gave a sigh as he got into the car he used as a means of transport when on business trips in this country. He had another mixed meeting with the Arendelle Royal Family. It was by all means very successful and would lead to both sides profiting greatly, but it was a complete failure regarding his secondary agenda.

He still had no more information on the elder princess of the family than he had before. He wasn't really all that interested in their youngest at the moment, because he knew they would be even more protective of her than they were of the Crown Princess, and that really said something.

He wished he could actually make better use of magic here in Arendelle to speed along his research in humane ways that wouldn't be too disapproved of by others. It wasn't that the British Ministry of Magic cared much for muggles, but this was a royal family. It would be bad all around if he were to do anything too overt or frowned upon, even if he could. He was very interested in getting his family closer aligned with actual royalty for multiple reasons in the right manner.

The first was obviously the huge boon it would bring wealth wise to the Malfoy family. They had to tie their wealth far too much to the Arendelle Royal Family due to his father's misguided handling of their family's wealth and name in the past. If he were able to get Draco in a marriage with the actual royal family it would make everything more than worth it. It would also get them close enough that they were equal to the royal family. He also wouldn't have to bother associating with certain individuals of ill repute again, even if their beliefs aligned.

"How did it go, Lord Malfoy?" the driver asked interrupting Lucius' musings.

"I was only able to garner the Crown Princess may or may not be on trip somewhere in the world at sometime this summer. We are finished here for now and well be leaving as soon as we have packed," he answered.

"Sorry for your unfortunate luck, Lord Malfoy. I will admit I am pleased we will be leaving soon though. This place makes me feel uncomfortable and a bit anxious," the driver replied.

The driver was one of those that Lucius wished he could break all connection with, but the man at least was far more sensible than most of their fellow followers. The 'driver' knew how to actually lay low and keep from getting caught in an uproar. He also knew their particular circle were not as much of a force as they used to be in the ministry and he acted accordingly. Perhaps that was why Lucius tolerated him as much as he did.

"All of us feel that way here. Dumbledore and even the Dark Lord himself would have a difficult time here. That is not holding anything against our master but speaking of Arendelle itself," Lucius explained.

"I wonder why that is. Does the land here have no magic somehow?" the driver asked.

"The opposite actually," Lucius answered.

"Wouldn't that make things easier?" the driver asked as he turned the car down another road.

"One would think… However, it is the opposite. The very land, air, and even people are highly resistant, if not immune, to magic due to its saturation. That is why wizards and witches from here are so rare and so powerful anywhere else," Lucius replied as he thought of the few he knew from here originally. The ones who stayed in Britain after learning of magic were well respected by their magical peer and powerful. They weren't deeply involved in politics, but many worked for the ministry in good positions.

"Why is that?" the driver wondered aloud.

Lucius gave a humorous laugh. "There are only theories even more unlikely than the myths of old. Some believe this is where magic was first born or at least one of the places it was first birthed. However, Arendelle never really had a large magical population. Nor a sustainable one. That is why we have many witches and wizards from here in Britain."

Lucius left out there long ago used to be rumors the Royal Family had the power of old in their blood, but those were as preposterous as the rumors of Arendelle being the birth place of magic. Lucius had looked into such things at first but could find little to nothing of this. If the Royal Family had the magic of old in their blood, it had not surfaced in ages. Unless they were somehow able to keep it a secret all of these year, which he doubted.

"I guess the people being resistant is why you can't really use magical means to get your information," the driver mused aloud.

"Even if I could, I would have to be extra careful with such solutions. Our ministry may not care much for muggles ultimately, but getting caught here would be an international incident with the magical world at the least. The repercussions unfathomable at worst," he said in a manner that showed he wished no more discussion. His 'driver' was competent enough to pick up on the hint and leave it well enough alone.

It was true the Ministry of Magic in Britain cared little for muggles despite fools like Dumbledore. When there was an incident, the goal of the ministry was cover up and not helping muggles caught in the blast. An ex-Deatheater could go on a muggle killing spree and leave wizards alone and the worst he would get was a hefty fine from the DMLE for his first offense. If it happened again, then he might get in more serious trouble because his reckless actions threatened to expose the magical world too much. The only reason that fool Sirius Black got in so much trouble is because it was just after the war and he was linked to the death of the Potters.

If one wanted further proof of how little the Ministry of Magic cared about muggles, they need only look at the department where Lucius' current torn in his side worked. Arthur Weasley worked in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Department. It was just him and one really old wizard wanting to make a little money and work as an excuse to keep away from his wife for most of the day. The department was a joke and mostly there just so the Ministry could say, "Look see we care about muggles, but our actions have to be limited so we don't cause issues". It had the lowest budget of all departments by a landslide and then some. However, the blood traitor Arthur Weasley was getting too big headed and self-important lately. He was trying to get a certain muggle protection act passed.

The only reason the ministry was even thinking about it seriously is because Dumbledore was getting behind it in full force and it was a way to get more money. One thing the ministry loved more than anything else was more means of funds for the over inflated bureaucracy it created. Lucius was usually all for their greed. It made dealing with them easy, but this law if passed would be a personal affront to him and many others. It could also lead to an unfortunately slightly embarrassing situation that would require extra money to keep quiet from others. While Lucius could easily afford the price, it was the principle of the matter that counted.

" _Maybe I should use that…_ " Lucius thought to himself. He had an artifact… gifted… to him by his ex-master. He was not entirely sure of its full effect, but he knew it could influence a person's mind to align with their beliefs and the Weasleys did have far too many children for them to keep an eye on and raise properly. One of them 'going astray' wasn't too farfetched an idea. Lucius gave a slight grin to himself as he thought of a basic plan. If something dangerous were to happen at school this year, and one of Arthur's children ended up responsible. It would be an embarrassment Lucius could easily twist to his advantage in multiple ways.

He may not be able to further his plans tying the Arendelle Royal Family to the Malfoy family yet, but he could further increase his own influence and use it as he saw fit in Britain. Perhaps he could work something out with one of the less notoriously dark but still respected families. " _The Greengrass family could work,_ " he thought. The older daughter was out of the question. Daphne was too headstrong in the wrong ways. Astoria, the younger daughter, not so much. Draco had mentioned certain things that were bringing doubt to Lucius regarding the Parkinson daughter as a potential future Lady Malfoy.

Lord Lucius Malfoy decided to start work on all of his plans after returning home and recovering for a day. Returning from Arendelle could cause some excitement with one's magic. While this wasn't a bad thing, Lucius didn't want even the slightest distraction when he started working on his many plans to bring more power and wealth to his family. That was all that really mattered in the end. Their family crest may say "Purity Will Always Conquer" but the family's true motto was "Before all else. Malfoy."

* * *

A/N: I am posting this in my first story right now because I noticed a few people following the story despite it being completed. I figured they were doing so in hopes of getting an idea about when Book Two would come out. I wasn't going to just do an author's note alone, since that is technically against the rules here. So….

The second book is coming soon!

It will be posted as a separate story but with pretty much the same title.

I almost have the first chapter completed and when it is I will post it along with this prologue again under Book Two. I will admit updates for the second book will most likely be more sporadic than they were for the first book. When it came to Book One, I had trouble with the beginning but knew what I wanted to happen in the middle and end. That being the case I wrote the middle and end of that story a good while before they came out. I did have to rewrite and add parts of the story as things progressed, but that didn't usually take too long. In the second book, that is not the case.

I have a few chapters for the beginning mostly ready to go and I even have the ending almost completely finished as well, but the meat and potatoes of the story not so much. In other words, the starter salad is almost finished, the main course isn't far along at all, but the dessert is more than ready to be redone as needed when the time comes, if that makes any sense to you.


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